Katje the Windmill Cat

This is a perfect match of words and pictures. Woelfle's text is conversational and understated, just right for a domestic tale which turns into high drama. Katje the cat feels displaced from the young miller's affections and her comfortable life in the home, first by his new wife and then by his new baby. Yet the friendship between cat and baby grows, and proves crucial when a great storm breaches the dikes, floods the windmill and carries baby and cat away in the cradle. Bayley's illustrations are both sumptuous and delicate, deliberately recalling Dutch domestic and fine art. Miniature Delft-like tiles decorate each of the pages in pale blue and white, while the main plates, in the manner of Flemish masters, use rich colours and brilliant lighting. She is equally at home portraying the nuances of emotion between the characters and the dramatic sweep of the storm. Her pictures tell the story and ravish the eye. Walker's editing and design team have presented the book with the skill and care which it deserves.