The Cat Who Came in Off the Roof

Description

The likeable Mr Tibble is a good and kind man, but seems to lack the killer instinct to succeed at his job as a reporter on the town newspaper, where the editor is growing dissatisfied with his endless articles about the local cat population. Minou is a cat.or at least she was until some freak of chance changed her into a young woman, albeit a young woman who loves purring, scratching, tree-climbing and other typically catlike pursuits. When Tibble rescues Minou from an angry dog, and invites her in for a saucer of milk, both their lives are transformed. Minou exploits the feline grapevine to provide Tibble with inside information on the town's goings-on, and his career begins to take off. But when he decides to confront a powerful local businessman on behalf of the cat community his newfound confidence and determination is put to the test.

Born in 1911, Annie M.G. Schmidt wrote stories for her own amusement throughout her childhood, and worked as a librarian. By her death in 1995, she was regarded as the Queen of Dutch Children's Literature, She won numerous awards including the1989 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Astrid Lindgren presented her the award with the words: 'Annie, I love you so much, where have you been all my life?' Schmidt is now in the Canon of Dutch History taught to Dutch schoolchildren, alongside Spinoza, Anne Frank and Vincent van Gogh.

Amusing and uplifting The Sunday Times To discover Annie MG Schmidt is to feel like the cat who got the cream The Times My find of the year to date -- Lorna Bradbury Daily Telegraph The beauty here is in the writing itself Daily Telegraph Weekend Magazine Books of this quality are a rare thing -- NRC Handelsblad This really is a lost classic... Everything about thebook smacks of charm - even the front cover, with its very clever and subtle representation of the circumstances on the pages within The Bookbag This story is a gift to the English language and a reminder that we should not forget the wealth of tales written abroad. We Love this Book It's a satisfying and triumphant fantasy-one that will have readers watching what they say in front of their cats. Publishers Weekly A charming, refreshing, and funny treat Kirkus, starred review This is the first time that the story has been published in English translation, which is fantastic as it's such a great book Jennifer's Little World One of the best-loved Dutch children's writers of all time... Beautifully packaged... and charmingly translated -- Michele Hutchinson Pen Atlas Annie is not a writer, she's a miracle! -- Guus Kiijer A funny and yet quietly profound tale of courage, friendship and what it really means to be human...The narrative beautifully unfolds with unseen and fine tuning, climaxing with an exciting and rich ending which is deeply satisfying Playing by the Book A humorous, surreal and satisfying story with an old fashioned feel Book Trust Books We Like Annie M. G. Schmidt skilfully captures what children and adults alike find so fascinating about cats; their individual and often humanlike personalities...this magical story can be enjoyed by cat-lovers of any age Chesire and Wain Funny and sweet Book Walrus This delightful fantasy... will have young readers suspending disbelief and flipping pages to get to the end Booklist Hilarious... the overall mood is a piquant geniality that makes it pretty much catnip for feline fanciers The Horn Book