Young Cat, Old Cat
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Sept 22, 2026
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- $10.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Award-winning creator Jillian Tamaki lovingly explores the bond between a cat and its owner, illustrated in embroidery.
Beautifully illustrated with embroidery and appliqué by Caldecott Honor–winning artist Jillian Tamaki, Young Cat, Old Cat honors the sacred bond between a person and their cat. A young girl charts her relationship with her cat from beginning to end — picking her cat up at the shelter; learning his favourite toys, treats and quirks; celebrating the holidays; cuddling; and growing up together — until the cat starts to move slower and play less. Ultimately, she must say goodbye to her beloved friend and try to move forward, until the day she might be ready to experience the love of a cat once again.
Relatable to anyone who has ever experienced the joy of a pet, Young Cat, Old Cat is a love letter to the idiosyncrasies of cats and how having a furry friend changes one's life forever.
Key Text Features
illustrations
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4
Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A cat's many lives—from kitten to adult and beyond—propel Caldecott Honoree Tamaki's mesmerizing romp. As descriptive text unfolds in spare fragments, calligraphic brushwork and tidy embroidery stitch the story together. To begin, a small gray kitten ("baby cat// hopeful cat") announces itself with a "mew" and a tug on a child's pant leg. After the feline captures the child's attention ("Be my cat?"), the kitty is taken home by a family, portrayed with brown skin, and the "finally free cat" can explore. As the pages turn, lively scenes spotlight the animal's many sides ("playful," "nice," "naughty"), with verbs occasionally labeling actions ("chase," "climb"). The vibe turns surreal when the furry protagonist begins dreaming, its head appearing on the body of a bird in flight, a ballet dancer, and a mermaid. Eventually, it becomes time to say goodbye to the "old cat// ancient cat// oh-so-tired cat," who takes on a starry manifestation, appearing constellation-like in the heavens before reemerging again as a kitten ("brand-new cat"). Textile-driven artwork brings an appropriately furry dimensionality to the pages. Riffing on myths about cats' nine lives, tactile illustrations and spare writing yield a crisply rendered kitty ode. Ages 3–7.
