BATTLE OF THE BOOKS: The Boy Who Drew Cats

 BATTLE OF THE BOOKS

Johnson, David. The Boy Who Drew Cats. Westport, CT : Rabbit Ears Books, 1991.

VS.

Levine, Arthur A. The Boy Who Drew Cats: A Japanese Folktale. New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 1994.

Plot: Both stories closely follow the original folktale about a weak, but artistic, boy's obsession with drawing cats. Johnson's rendition, however, focuses more on the personification of the characters. By contrast, Levine tends to make his protagonists blank slates, offering the readers the opportunity for self-insertion. Levine's book also focuses on fewer characters, while Johnson adds a smith for the boy to interact with.

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Analysis: Johnson's retelling offering originally came with an audio tape, and its origins show in the text. The story is wordier, and focuses more on the text than the illustrations, which show little color with sharp outlines. Additionally, the naughtiness of the boy finds ample mention, making the tale more of a fable, perhaps earning parental approval. As a result, the story provides a more modern view of the tale than Levine's mystery-laden story.

Levine's text focuses more on the vagueness and unknown aspects of a typical fairy tale. Conversations and interactions are alluded to, instead of described, making the story more like a classic folk story. Characterization also takes a secondary role in the tale. Most of the text relies on the colorful, eerie pictures to set the tone, which is more sombre and strange than Johnson's tale.

Overall, I prefer Levine's story, since it captures the mystery and approachability of classic folktales. By contrast, while Johnson's text is more modern, it leave less to the imagination. Still, people seeking a direct story may prefer Johnson's rendition.