Book Review for One Moon, Two Cats by Laura Godwin

One Moon, Two Cats by Laura Godwin, Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

Atheneum

August 30, 2011

ISBN-10: 144241202X

ISBN-13: 978-1442412026

Ages 4-8

32 Pages

Fiction Children’s Picture Book



Laura Godwin, author of Forest, has written several I Can Read Books under the pen name Nola Buck, including the popular Creepy Crawly Critters and Other Halloween Tongue Twisters and Santa’s Short Suit Shrunk and Other Christmas Tongue Twisters, both illustrated by Sue Truesdell. Ms. Godwin lives in New York City.



Reviewer: Renee Hand



One Moon, Two Cats is a gentle tale about two cats from different locations who appreciate the beauty and calmness of the world.

The story begins with two felines: one who lives in the city and one who lives in the country, and each is getting ready for bed along with their owners. But when the lights go out, each cat behaves in a similar—yet different—manner, which highlights both their similarities and their differences.

One watches the life of a big city, while the other watches the animals of a farm. Both cats like to walk along rails and fences. They like to preen themselves and swish their tails from side to side. Regardless of location, each cat understands the surrounding smells and anticipates chasing mice. They run and crouch, leap and hunt until their prey is caught—well—almost.

Regardless of location, there is one thing that each cat is also afraid of. Will it ruin their nighttime adventures?

One Moon, Two Cats is a comparable example of the country mouse and the city mouse.

The author has created a perfect bedtime tale with this 32-page picture book. The illustrations by Yoko Tanaka are softly rendered, highlighting the charisma of the characters. And then, of course, there’s the moral of the story, which is that no matter where we come from, our lust for adventure, love, and peace, can always be shared.