Cat

This was purchased as a gift for an 8 year-old. He loved it! He had requested a cat book for Christmas and this was exactly what he wanted.

There is no better resource for children for many many topics than Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Books. New York Times describes each book as a museum between two covers. "Eyewitness Cat" is no exception. One of the most astonishing facts about each book is the wealth and quality of photographs. On just the double title page of "Cat," there are thirteen individual photos of ten kinds of cats, wild and domestic, and and two separate pieces of art featuring cats. The verso (copyright) page has six photos and the Table of Content has one more. That is astounding! Considering the photos, the quality of paper, and the tight binding, what is more amazing is the very affordable price. Once the reader enters the main text, a feast of photos awaits her. "Cat" is laid out like other Eyewitness books: define the topic--"What is a cat?," continue with the First Cats, then go to Cat clans, cat bones, fur, claws, supersenses, time-lapse photos of their leaps and falls, cleaning activities, their stalking abilities, young cats, and cat characteristics. The next section starts with the lion, then goes through each category of wild cats, then spotlights the transitional cats that are wild but closely akin to domestic cats. How were cats tamed, what are the myths and legends surrounding them? The next section focuses on champion cats, then other types: shorthairs, longhairs, street and feral cats. Caring for you cat is another section, amazing facts, and then all those domestic breeds are identified by photos and captions. Every single section is filled with photographs, both large and small, side notes, illustrations, charts, and so on. Examples of the types of information throughout the volume: "In southern France there was once a wide belief in 'matagots,' or magician cats. One of the most famous was Puss in Books,...a cat so crafty that it won for its master a fortune and a princess for a wife" (49) "The Maine Coon is the oldest American breed of cat and one of the largest" (57). "When a pride of lions or a pair of domestic cats want to show they belong together, they make sure they smell the same" by grooming each other and spreading scent from their glands (21). Eyewitness Books are the kinds of books every child should have, one for each area of interest. These are not books that can be read in one sitting. These are books to pour over again and again, and the child will still find new things. As a children's librarian, I cannot give a higher recommendation than I do to Eyewitness Books. "Eyewitness: Cat" is definitely and positively a keeper!

This is so much more than a reference book on cats. While the American Library Binding makes this book very durable, it could almost be a coffee table book on the life of cats. Since I adore cats, this book was irresistible. Both wild and domestic cats are pictured in full color. The photographs are superb. Children will get to see a jaguar swimming in the tropical forest rivers and find out why the ancient Egyptians worshiped cats. Did you know that Tigers actually enjoy swimming? Did you ever wonder if a cat chews its food? Why do cats need whiskers and how do they purr? So, why do cats behave in the ways they do? This book tells all the secrets including why people say a cat has nine lives. The text is fun to read and little notes about historical details are sprinkled around the pages. The center of attention is definitely the furry felines we have grown to love. A special section of caring for your cat, makes this book the cat's meow! ~The Rebecca Review >^..^<

My six year old son has checked this book out of the library three times. He loves the pictures and is surprisingly interested in all the information about cats. He's also watched the Eyewitness Cat video numerous times. We've read lots of Eyewitness books, but this is his favorite.