Tales of the Catwings

At first glance this little book may look rather unprepossessing and old-fashioned, but this allegorical tale of youth's need to fly to new experiences is a little gem. It contains two stories, originally published separately in the United States, of Mrs Jane Tabby's four kittens who are all born with wings. In the first tale, Mrs Tabby realises that the neighbourhood in which they live is no place for beautiful and well brought up children such as her Thelma, Roger, James and Harriet. She urges them to use their ability to fly to escape from the neighbourhood. This they do, eventually finding a safe home in the country, high up in an old hay barn. The second story tells of the return of Harriet and James to the city to visit their mother. Schindler's soft pencil drawings perfectly capture the tone of the narration. The cats and wild creatures which they encounter are beautifully realised, making it physically credible that cats might fly.