Banks, Kate. The Cat Who Walked Across France. Illustrated by Georg Hallensleben. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. ISBN 0374399689. $16.00. Reviewer: Janet Francis Reading Level: Primary Rating: Excellent Genre: Fiction; Subject: Cats-Juvenile Fiction; Home-Juvenile Fiction; France-Juvenile Fiction; The story begins as an old woman dies, leaving only her cat. The cat is moved far from the little stone house by the edge of the sea that has always been his home. The homesick feline, inspired by the illuminating sunset in the South of France, determines to find the home he has lost. Through city and country, bad times and good, he is never deserted by that fabled sixth sense which guides animals over strange territory to find their goal. Success is his when he finds one who knows how to stroke his back, just like the old woman did. The glowing illustrations give a travelogue of the French ambience, and in spite of their simple format, will be beneficial in a unit on France for primary age children. The emotional satisfaction of determination and endurance rewarded adds appeal to cat lovers and others.
