#627 of 1001 · April 19, 2022

Do you enjoy the bizarre combination of humor and frustration in the comic letdown of a shaggy dog story? Well, here’s something of a shaggy cat story: The Porcelain Cat, written by Michael Patrick Hearn and illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. When an old Sorcerer detects a rat infestation, he decides to take action. In order to concoct a potion that will bring his porcelain statue of a cat to life, he sends his apprentice Nickon to collect a vial of basilisk blood from the Witch Beneath the Hill. As payment, the witch demands a magical salve from the Undine of the Brook. The Undine requests that Nickon forage for a certain delectable mushroom, but the mushrooms are guarded by the Centaur of the Wood, who requires that the boy pluck him fruit from the surrounding trees. Hearn’s fanciful cumulative tale ends with an abrupt ironic twist—the Sorcerer successfully animates the porcelain cat, who immediately sees a rat, leaps off the table, and shatters on the floor. The Dillons contribute lush, jewel-toned illustrations that accentuate the beauty of the fantasy setting. #porcelain #cat #rat #rats #witch #forest #woods #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks