The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem “Pangur Bán”

The White Cat and the Monk is a book about a cat that hops through a window into a long hallway where all but one room’s lights are turned off. An old monk is studying his books. Pangur the cat chases mice, while the monk spends hours reading. They mostly let each other be over the long night. It is a calm and relaxing poem.

At first I thought this book was a picture book, so it surprised me when I figured out it was a poem. The first watercolor illustrations of the cat going through the monastery were my favorite part of the book. I also like the sunrise painting at the end. The illustrator mostly uses natural colors, but if he wants you to notice something, he paints the object in bright colors. It doesn’t have very developed characters that I like to get to know and the dreary plot doesn’t have much action. I think this book is good for kids ages 7-10 who appreciate poetry and art. The White Cat and the Monk poem came together really smoothly, but the topic is a little too dull for me.