To Be a Cat

Initially this breezy novel seems to have a lot going for it; nice big print, the ever-popular idea of a child transported into the body of a domestic animal and an evil headmistress of Dahlesque proportions. It is also written in an approachably matey style, with the author occasionally addressing his readers direct. The only trouble is a plot that never quite catches fire. The humans who change into cats stay engaging enough but the cats that in response change into humans remain shadowy figures whose function is never really explained. But Barney Willow, the 12-year-old hero and narrator, is an agreeable presence both as human and animal, and there are moments when slapstick gives way to something more nuanced as Barney’s father decides that on balance he would after all prefer to stay a cat even while his son is appealing to him to change back. An interesting experiment, then, but this is an author who could perhaps do even better next time.