The Secret Cat

The girl who narrates this story wants a pet; her mother offers fish, but fish won’t do. A scratching sound behind the wallpaper in her bedroom one night, a purr, a rending of the wall, and suddenly there’s a graceful, ghostly cat in the room: Silvring, she calls it, “the type of name you have to whisper.” A haunting adventure follows. Silvring leads the girl out into the night (she has brown skin, poufy pigtails, and sports a set of skeleton pajamas), where other humans with secret pets are taking them for walks. A winged dinosaur crosses a bridge; a gentleman strolls serenely with a shoal of floating scarlet carp. Swedish artist Strömgård illustrates her tale with intricately drafted pen-and-ink figures, giving free play to light and pattern, and returning often to the backdrop of a city overpass—a liminal gateway where life is calm by day and alien by night. Her visions are beautifully developed, portraying the narrator and the other pet owners as distinct and engaging individuals. And a dramatic confrontation and a nick-of-time rescue conjure just enough excitement for bedtime. Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]