Day 100. So, I saved John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat for last because if someone had asked me to name a picture book from my childhood, this is the one I'd have said. It's the story of an old woman (Rose) and her protective dog (John Brown). I have a curious sense of nostalgia about the story, mixed with the same sadness it gave me as a child - Rose seems very lonely, even with her companions, and the illustrations convey that in their muted colours and careful attention to the olde-worlde details of her house. Even when the Midnight Cat comes into the picture, the story still feels melancholic - the sense this is a temporary reprieve only. I have those same impressions now, but I guess I have a slightly healthier relationship with change these days. Even so, I find it's a story I only want to consume sparingly, as carefully as it's been constructed.
Master A's verdict: Patiently looked at the pictures through the whole reading.
Details:
- Title: John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat
- Author/Illustrator: Jenny Wagner / Ron Brooks
- Source: In home library
- Publisher: Puffin
That's the end of our #100daysofbooks project! The next post will talk about a few insights about these books (unexpected) and our donation to the Indigenous Literacy Project. :)