Oscar the Guardian Cat

Based on the true story of a cat who lives in a care home in Rhode Island, this moving and beautiful picture book, told from Oscar’s viewpoint, confronts death in a practical as well as mystical way.  Oscar has many guardian duties.  He visits each resident in the mornings and patrols the dining room in the evenings, and when one of the elderly ‘grandpas and grandmas’ is nearing his or her ‘right time’ he knows it and jumps up on the bed purring loudly.  Cuddling up to the dying, he provides comfort in their final hours, and the staff in the nursing home know to call relatives to come as the end is near.  Oscar knows the time is come because he, and only he, can see Mewt, and when Mewt appears, each time in a different persona, Oscar assumes his role.  We meet several of the residents, and in the final part of the story are privileged to see Oscar with Mr Weakhead in his final hours.  (Oscar names his people by their traits.)  In this case, Mewt is a beautiful blond girl who comes for Mr Weakhead, a girl who looks like the photo on Mr Weakhead’s table, and they fly away together while Oscar stands guard.  Beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated, full of light and soft texture and even humour at times, this book deserves a wide readership, and will provide comfort to children whose grandparents are close to flying off with their own particular Mewt – and not just to children!  Adults will love it too; at least this one did!