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Catkin
Catkin is a tiny cat given by the Wise Woman to protect the human child Carrie. One day Carrie is taken under the hill by the Little People. Sent to bring her back, Catkin finds his courage and cleverness tested to the full.
Antonia Barber's original story reads like a classic fairy tale. Rich with English folklore and mythology, Catkin is magical story-telling at its best!
Antonia Barber's original story reads like a classic fairy tale. Rich with English folklore and mythology, Catkin is magical story-telling at its best!
44 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 1994
3 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Antonia Barber
46 books25 followersAntonia Barber really knows about ballet - her daughter studied ballet from the age of three and attended the Royal Ballet School junior associate classes at Sadler's Wells. Antonia is well-known for such best-selling picture books as The Mousehole Cat (with Nicola Bailey) and Catkin (with J P Lynch). Her novel, The Amazing Mr Blunden, was runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. Antonia lived in Kent.
FAVOURITE BOOK:
Middlemarch by George Eliot
FAVOURITE SONG:
'Every Time You Say Goodbye' by Ella Fitzgerald
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION:
Family Photographs
FAVOURITE FILM:
The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
--------------------------------------------------------
When did you start writing?
I wrote my first children's novel in 1966. My second, The Ghosts, written two years later, was a best-seller and was filmed as The Amazing Mr Blunden in 1972. Now a new film version is planned, as well as a stage musical version. My picture books for younger children include The Mousehole Cat about a fisherman and a cat who live in my Cornish cottage (see Favourite Place). Most recently I wrote Tales from the Ballet and then, for Puffin, the Dancing Shoes series about Lucy Lambert who wants to be a ballerina.
Where do you get your ideas?
Often from my own life or other peoples'. The Ghosts was inspired by a visit to an old house; The Ring in the Rough Stuff by going sailing with friends on an old Thames Barge; and The Mousehole Cat by a song I found in Cornwall. For the Dancing Shoes series I had help from my daughter Gemma, who did ballet lessons from the age of three until she was fifteen.
Can you give your top three tips to becoming a successful author?
1. You must be interested in people and all ages. To create good characters, you have to be able to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes and know how they would feel.
2. Read lots of books by good writers and try to see what it is that makes you enjoy them.
3. Write your story, then put it aside and do something different. Then go back to your story and try to read it as if someone else had written it. This makes it easier to see mistakes and to put them right.
Favourite memory?
A sailing holiday in the Greek Islands with my children and my husband, the summer before he was killed in a road accident.
Favourite place in the world and why?
My cottage in the little Cornish fishing village of Mousehole. We don't know how old it is, but it had to have a new roof after some marauding Spaniards set fire to it in 1590. It is small and snug and I can watch the blue-green sea and the little harbour from my window. I go there to rest and unwind and sometimes to work in peace because there is no telephone. It is full of happy memories of holidays with my children.
What are your hobbies?
Walking, especially along the cliffs in Cornwall. Gardening in my poison-free, wild-life garden in Kent. Going to the theatre, ballet, opera and cinema. Watching television, especially BBC classic serials. Best of all, reading books.
If you hadn't been a writer, what do you think you would have been?
I like the idea of myself as an actor or dancer... a painter would have been good too. Unfortunately I don't think I would have had enough talent for any of these. But really I love books, so if I couldn't write them, I think I would have a little bookshop in a small country town.
(courtesy Penguin website)
FAVOURITE BOOK:
Middlemarch by George Eliot
FAVOURITE SONG:
'Every Time You Say Goodbye' by Ella Fitzgerald
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION:
Family Photographs
FAVOURITE FILM:
The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart
--------------------------------------------------------
When did you start writing?
I wrote my first children's novel in 1966. My second, The Ghosts, written two years later, was a best-seller and was filmed as The Amazing Mr Blunden in 1972. Now a new film version is planned, as well as a stage musical version. My picture books for younger children include The Mousehole Cat about a fisherman and a cat who live in my Cornish cottage (see Favourite Place). Most recently I wrote Tales from the Ballet and then, for Puffin, the Dancing Shoes series about Lucy Lambert who wants to be a ballerina.
Where do you get your ideas?
Often from my own life or other peoples'. The Ghosts was inspired by a visit to an old house; The Ring in the Rough Stuff by going sailing with friends on an old Thames Barge; and The Mousehole Cat by a song I found in Cornwall. For the Dancing Shoes series I had help from my daughter Gemma, who did ballet lessons from the age of three until she was fifteen.
Can you give your top three tips to becoming a successful author?
1. You must be interested in people and all ages. To create good characters, you have to be able to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes and know how they would feel.
2. Read lots of books by good writers and try to see what it is that makes you enjoy them.
3. Write your story, then put it aside and do something different. Then go back to your story and try to read it as if someone else had written it. This makes it easier to see mistakes and to put them right.
Favourite memory?
A sailing holiday in the Greek Islands with my children and my husband, the summer before he was killed in a road accident.
Favourite place in the world and why?
My cottage in the little Cornish fishing village of Mousehole. We don't know how old it is, but it had to have a new roof after some marauding Spaniards set fire to it in 1590. It is small and snug and I can watch the blue-green sea and the little harbour from my window. I go there to rest and unwind and sometimes to work in peace because there is no telephone. It is full of happy memories of holidays with my children.
What are your hobbies?
Walking, especially along the cliffs in Cornwall. Gardening in my poison-free, wild-life garden in Kent. Going to the theatre, ballet, opera and cinema. Watching television, especially BBC classic serials. Best of all, reading books.
If you hadn't been a writer, what do you think you would have been?
I like the idea of myself as an actor or dancer... a painter would have been good too. Unfortunately I don't think I would have had enough talent for any of these. But really I love books, so if I couldn't write them, I think I would have a little bookshop in a small country town.
(courtesy Penguin website)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 12, 2020
A beautifully illustrated fairytale with a wonderful story. I have enjoyed several books by this illustrator which made the perfect match for Antonia Barber's text.
Highly recommended for cat lovers and those who enjoy fairytales.
Read on open library.
Highly recommended for cat lovers and those who enjoy fairytales.
Read on open library.
July 18, 2020
Catkin was a tiny kitten - the smallest of his litter - born to the cat of a Wise Woman. Given to the farming couple who lived down the hill, he became the boon companion of their baby daughter, and was charged with keeping her safe. When a moment of inattention left her vulnerable, and she was taken by the Lord and Lady of the Little People who lived under the hill, he set out to right the wrong, and to free baby Carrie. This was more challenging than it seemed, and Catkin needed all of his wits, as well as the aid of the Wise Woman, to find a solution...
The third fairy-tale picture-book I have read from British author Antonia Barber, after her marvelous The Mousehole Cat and The Enchanter's Daughter , Catkin may be my favorite of the lot! It is an outstandingly beautiful book, one which pairs an enchanting tale full of magic and adventure from Barber with breathtakingly gorgeous watercolor illustrations from Irish artist P.J. Lynch. This is a book to treasure, and to read over and over again - I will need to obtain a copy of my own! It's rare for me to give five star ratings, but this was a practically perfect picture-book, with every element - the story, the writing itself, the artwork, the design - outstanding in its own right, and yet also working seamlessly together to create a wonderful whole. Highly, highly recommended to all fairy-tale lovers!
The third fairy-tale picture-book I have read from British author Antonia Barber, after her marvelous The Mousehole Cat and The Enchanter's Daughter , Catkin may be my favorite of the lot! It is an outstandingly beautiful book, one which pairs an enchanting tale full of magic and adventure from Barber with breathtakingly gorgeous watercolor illustrations from Irish artist P.J. Lynch. This is a book to treasure, and to read over and over again - I will need to obtain a copy of my own! It's rare for me to give five star ratings, but this was a practically perfect picture-book, with every element - the story, the writing itself, the artwork, the design - outstanding in its own right, and yet also working seamlessly together to create a wonderful whole. Highly, highly recommended to all fairy-tale lovers!
January 3, 2015
A cat, a wise woman, Faerie Folk- what's not to love?!
November 23, 2020
was talking to a friend & she reminded me of this book, one of the first i ever truly loved -- there's smth v lovely & strange abt that reminder that books that felt uniquely yours when you were small & building yr world around you are actually objects & stories that exist independently of you, that they were part of other people's lives, that other people loved them & were shaped by them & think abt them years later too.
anyway, this is a deeply treasured book, second only to east o' the sun and west o' the moon, & the illustrations are even more glowingly beautiful than i remembered.
anyway, this is a deeply treasured book, second only to east o' the sun and west o' the moon, & the illustrations are even more glowingly beautiful than i remembered.
June 8, 2024
Beautiful illustrations and such a heart warming story of a brave little kitten! I found this today in a charity shop and am absolutely in love with the pictures and will be buying more books illustrated by P.J. Lynch
September 21, 2016
An utter delight! :D A beautiful tale with amazing illustrations that will capture your imagination to the fullest. I read it three times, back to front, before I could put it down.
ENJOY! :)
May 5, 2023
mans was outwitted by an orange cat...................
January 1, 2026
Catty in a good way. 🐈
February 27, 2020
A superb tale and beautifully illustrated.
March 6, 2024
4.5 stars.
Super, super cute and short, a classic fairy tale style story about a cat sent to save a little girl in the land of the fairies. It has that little magic something that only some children’s books manage to evoke.
Super, super cute and short, a classic fairy tale style story about a cat sent to save a little girl in the land of the fairies. It has that little magic something that only some children’s books manage to evoke.
October 31, 2012
I'm no expert on children's picture books, but this one just didn't work for me. Or for my grandson, who as a bona fide child and book-lover is by definition an expert, at least in what he likes and doesn't like. We both love stories involving cats, and we both loved Antonia Barber's The Mousehole Cat, so we expected something of equal stature. What a disappointment. It lacks the charm, the magic of Mousehole Cat. The concept of the story is more sophisticated, which is okay up to a point, but the plot turns on the cat's ability to solve 3 riddles which are simply incomprehensible to most kids. For example, the first riddle is: "So be it, though I am not high, my magic branches sweep the sky." The answer is "Willow." Did you get it? Me neither. The cat explains the reasoning that leads to the correct answer, but even after reading it and deconstructing it, my grandson still couldn't comprehend the rather sketchy logic.
The illustrations are of uneven quality. Many are wonderful but a few have oddly photo-realistic human faces attached to otherwise fanciful backgrounds, which is jarring in a story that is trying to establish a magical setting.
Another oddity is the resolution of the story:
The illustrations are of uneven quality. Many are wonderful but a few have oddly photo-realistic human faces attached to otherwise fanciful backgrounds, which is jarring in a story that is trying to establish a magical setting.
Another oddity is the resolution of the story:
January 1, 2013
This beautiful book earned a BookCrossing 'Please Read Us A Story' bookplate, and was a gift from GoryDetails for Yule, 2003. I intend to read this with my nephew, and niece, and someday bequeath it to them (likely when they're a little bit older and less likely to rampage a book). For now it'll be "that book Uncle 'Nathan brings and reads to us."
The story itself is beautifully illustrated and told with a light, spare sort of prose that leaves nearly everything to your imagination, and yet tells you just enough to give your imagination one huge shove in the right direction.
Little Catkin is a gift from a wise woman to a family with only one daughter. The wise woman foresees a danger in the child's future, and Catkin is left as a protector. When his curiosity fails the child, Catkin has to go rescue her from the Little People, and his courage and wit is a delight to read.
This was such a pretty story, and reminded me so vividly of Persephone/Demeter/Hades, and other classic mythology. Very well written, and a joy - as I think I've said three times now - to look at.
Definitely one to add to your list!
Best Line:"This life is pleasant, indeed," said Catkin sadly, "but there is no peace for me until the wrong is righted.".
The story itself is beautifully illustrated and told with a light, spare sort of prose that leaves nearly everything to your imagination, and yet tells you just enough to give your imagination one huge shove in the right direction.
Little Catkin is a gift from a wise woman to a family with only one daughter. The wise woman foresees a danger in the child's future, and Catkin is left as a protector. When his curiosity fails the child, Catkin has to go rescue her from the Little People, and his courage and wit is a delight to read.
This was such a pretty story, and reminded me so vividly of Persephone/Demeter/Hades, and other classic mythology. Very well written, and a joy - as I think I've said three times now - to look at.
Definitely one to add to your list!
Best Line:"This life is pleasant, indeed," said Catkin sadly, "but there is no peace for me until the wrong is righted.".
June 3, 2022
A book I had read as a child, and forgotten. And one that came flooding back when I saw the (breathtakingly gorgeous) illustrations once again and re-read the story. Absolutely excellent - INTENSE for young and sensitive kids (all the emotions come back, too!). Sort of in an odd no-man's-land of a target age-range, I feel. But definitely worth reading if fairy folk, changelings and clever kitties are your jam (did I mention the artwork?! Stunning!)
May 15, 2018
This is an old school fairy tale if there ever was one! I love the fairy tale picture books published in the 1980s and 90s. The illustrations are gorgeous and they have a sincerity about them that I find rare in the current crop of fairy tale picture books (which rely so much on humor). This is an original tale but with its recognizable themes (fairies, changelings, riddles, an old wise woman with a cat), it reads like it could have existed for centuries.
August 10, 2018
This has been one of my absolute favorite books since before I could read it on my own. I spent hours upon hours poring over the illustrations, studying each tiny detail. Every time someone read it to me I loved the shape of the story, the feel of it - I threw myself into it. It was exciting beyond measure when I could read it for myself finally, and I could read it as often as I liked - even over again as soon as I finished with the final page.
Re-reading it as an adult, it is no less magical to me. It's nostalgic in the very best way, the artwork as breathtaking as ever, the story as captivating. I'm glad to have found it again, and I look forward to the day that I own it once more and can read it and share it as often as I like.
Re-reading it as an adult, it is no less magical to me. It's nostalgic in the very best way, the artwork as breathtaking as ever, the story as captivating. I'm glad to have found it again, and I look forward to the day that I own it once more and can read it and share it as often as I like.
February 13, 2019
This is just a beautiful book. We have a cute little orange cat, so when reading it to the kids, we substituted his name "Jam" for some of it. The 4 year old thought that was funny, although it changed the story a bit.
August 30, 2019
This is just a beautiful book. So much so that I am looking for one to add to our collection. We have a cute little orange cat, so when reading it to the kids, we substituted his name "Jam" for some of it. The 4 year old thought that was funny, although it changed the story a bit.
April 10, 2024
Adorable story in the fashion of classic Fae courts; truly excellent illustrations that were the reason I bought a copy after borrowing from the library. For slightly older than toddler age, due to the amount of reading involved, but also a good practice for reading aloud for older children.
May 10, 2019
I remember reading this as a kid. It may actually have been my first introduction to Celtic faery lore and I've never forgotten it. I just recently found it again and it still has the same charm.
April 9, 2020
My favourite children's book, one of those few books that can evoke an emotional connection. Beautiful in every sense.
March 8, 2021
This was my absolute favourite book from childhood. It's stayed with me all these years.
September 24, 2023
This one is not my favorite to read out loud because it’s very long but the illustrations are very beautiful!
September 21, 2024
A lovely original fairy tale by Antonia Barber, beautifully illustrated by P.J. Lynch.
October 27, 2024
Heavens! I loved these fairy tales in my youthful years.
October 2, 2019
The story of a little cat tasked with protecting a child from the Faeries, with wonderful and eerie illustrations. Absolutely love it.
Read
October 16, 2015Title: Catkin
Author: Antonia Barber
Illustrator: P.J. Lynch
Genre: European Folktales
Theme(s): Cats, riddles
Opening line/sentence:
Brief Book Summary: In this European folktale, Catkin is in charge of protecting and saving the farmers baby. In order to get the baby back from the little people catkin must solves riddles.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Barber (The Mousehole Cat) and Lynch's (East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon) elegant collaboration rings with the depth and nostalgia of the best fairy stories and the primacy of myth. When a Wise Woman sees danger in young Carrie's future, she provides the girl with a feline protector, Catkin. The girl and her cat are inseparable until the day that a butterfly distracts Catkin, and the Little People bear away the child to their underworld. At the risk of binding himself to the Little People forever, Catkin undertakes the strenuous task of returning the child to her devastated parents. Luminous illustrations complement the graceful text, reflecting the shadows and sunshine of the two worlds. The Little People's underground kingdom is swathed in deep greens, moss and earth tones, while Catkin and Carrie themselves gleam with a golden aura. The sense of legend that pervades this work is borne out by the formal design, which incorporates art of varying sizes and handsome framing devices. Ages 4-up. (Nov.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino
Extensive text and rich, realistic paintings bring baby Carrie and Catkin to life. Based on a Norwegian tale, Catkin is a feline nanny to the beloved child of a farmer and his wife. While Catkin is chasing a butterfly, the Little People come and snatch away the infant. Under the rocks in the garden, Catkin must find clever ways to free the child. Middle readers-especially reluctant ones-still love picture books and this magical tale of courage and adventure will steal hearts.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the reviews, that children will love this adventure/fantasy story. The story is excited and will keep the readers attention as Catkin tries to save baby Carrie. I also agree that the illustrations are a major element that makes the story successful. The reviewers talk about how realistic and luminous the illustrations are and I agree.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This would be a good story to teach students about myths from around the world. This story will grasp the students attention and be great for a read aloud.
Author: Antonia Barber
Illustrator: P.J. Lynch
Genre: European Folktales
Theme(s): Cats, riddles
Opening line/sentence:
Brief Book Summary: In this European folktale, Catkin is in charge of protecting and saving the farmers baby. In order to get the baby back from the little people catkin must solves riddles.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Barber (The Mousehole Cat) and Lynch's (East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon) elegant collaboration rings with the depth and nostalgia of the best fairy stories and the primacy of myth. When a Wise Woman sees danger in young Carrie's future, she provides the girl with a feline protector, Catkin. The girl and her cat are inseparable until the day that a butterfly distracts Catkin, and the Little People bear away the child to their underworld. At the risk of binding himself to the Little People forever, Catkin undertakes the strenuous task of returning the child to her devastated parents. Luminous illustrations complement the graceful text, reflecting the shadows and sunshine of the two worlds. The Little People's underground kingdom is swathed in deep greens, moss and earth tones, while Catkin and Carrie themselves gleam with a golden aura. The sense of legend that pervades this work is borne out by the formal design, which incorporates art of varying sizes and handsome framing devices. Ages 4-up. (Nov.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino
Extensive text and rich, realistic paintings bring baby Carrie and Catkin to life. Based on a Norwegian tale, Catkin is a feline nanny to the beloved child of a farmer and his wife. While Catkin is chasing a butterfly, the Little People come and snatch away the infant. Under the rocks in the garden, Catkin must find clever ways to free the child. Middle readers-especially reluctant ones-still love picture books and this magical tale of courage and adventure will steal hearts.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the reviews, that children will love this adventure/fantasy story. The story is excited and will keep the readers attention as Catkin tries to save baby Carrie. I also agree that the illustrations are a major element that makes the story successful. The reviewers talk about how realistic and luminous the illustrations are and I agree.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This would be a good story to teach students about myths from around the world. This story will grasp the students attention and be great for a read aloud.
December 15, 2011
Catkin came today and since it is so short I read it immediately. The watercolors by P.J Lynch compliment Antonia Barber's story. Catkin tells the story of a brave runt of a litter who finds a loving home with a farmer, his wife and their daughter. When the daughter is kidnapped by the fair folk of the hill the little cat proves himself by bravely and cunningly rescuing the little girl, Carrie.
I'm delighted that I'm the last on the list. This will give me time to slowly introduce this book into my son's regular set of books. He's still a little young to sit through this long of a book but I know that in a few months when he's older, he'll love this book. He loves cats and books and especially books about cats!
I'm delighted that I'm the last on the list. This will give me time to slowly introduce this book into my son's regular set of books. He's still a little young to sit through this long of a book but I know that in a few months when he's older, he'll love this book. He loves cats and books and especially books about cats!
July 20, 2014
My parents read this book to me when I was a child and I loved it so much that first time that I keep going back to it over and over. I intend to keep it in my personal library for my children to have and enjoy. I think one of the reasons it's so special is that it is not a conventional children's book in that it has an animal that actually talks to people at one point, and there really is no villain, just some misunderstood human like creatures. The writing style and font and the illustrations help make the story even better as well.
Read
August 11, 2011Lovely pictures. Love the small, insignificant hero: this time a cat. The only thing that would take away my enjoyment (or my children's) is that the title and a major part of the plot revolve around the word "catkin", a word I'd never heard until I read this story. (It works as a fairy tale, but if I were the human mother, I'd be pretty peeved at the wise woman's solution at the end.)
November 24, 2013
This book has a cat hero, which was perfect for my little cat obsessed sister and would suit a lot of children I think. It also is a fairly traditional take on the little people/fairfolk/elves, which is refreshing. All of it is beautifully illustrated.
I remember it having reasonably long paragraphs on each page so I would say it's suitable for very patient 3 year olds and older.
I remember it having reasonably long paragraphs on each page so I would say it's suitable for very patient 3 year olds and older.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews