By Donna Jo Napoli, illustrations by Christina Balit
Scott County Library hardcover 201 pages
Published: 2021
Genre: folk tales
I got this from the library primarily to read the tale of Dick Whittington's Cat because I have seen far too many references to it over the years and wanted to better understand.
I began reading the book with the intention of reading all the "magical tales," but was quickly reminded of the fairy tales I had immersed myself in when I competed in Storytelling for MSHSL Speech. The first one, The Speaking Bird (Italy), was maddening. You don't test your beloved brother's love for you by sending him on a dangerous quest! You just don't do that.
I'm glad that Dick Whittington's Cat was the second story. It appeased my curiosity (not much more thorough than what I had read on Wikipedia) and convinced me to read other books on my list right now.
Dick Whittington (I've seen it spelled "Wittington" in other places) was elected mayor of London three times. The cat being an excellent ratter may or may not be true. It's a great legend and fits perfectly with what happened during the Black Death.
I also like that Napoli collected stories from all over the globe. (Zimbabwe, Turkey, Korea, Ecuador, Inuit, etc. . . . ) I just don't want to invest more time in this right now. The illustrations enhance the storytelling. I also like that she has a little non-fiction blurb with each story that gives extra info.
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