Dick Whittington and His Cat (review)
2006; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 60; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.2006.0569
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies
ResumoReviewed by: Dick Whittington and His Cat Karen Coats Hodges, Margaret , ad. Dick Whittington and His Cat; illus. by Mélisande Potter. Holiday House, 200632p ISBN 0-8234-1987-8$16.95 R 5-8 yrs The rags-to-riches tale of Dick Whittington and his industrious cat has garnered lasting fame through the oral tradition and retellings in various media, including chapbooks, pantomimes, and the recent Newbery Honor book by Alan Armstrong (BCCB 9/05). Here, noted folklorist Hodges adapts the tale from a chapbook that likely dates from the early 1700s. In her version, orphaned and destitute Dick seeks his fortune in London, where he is shown pity by a wealthy merchant. Though wretchedly poor, he procures a cat to chase away the rats and mice that plague his sleep. When the merchant offers his servants a chance to earn some money by sending something of value off on one of his ships to trade, Dick reluctantly parts with his cat, which ends up fetching an exorbitant price, making Dick one of the wealthiest men in London. He goes on to marry the merchant's daughter, become the Lord Mayor of London three times over (in legend; in actuality, it was four times), and earn a lasting reputation for the good works he did on behalf of the poor in London. Hodges' retelling is clear and straightforward, with enough detail to generate heartfelt sympathy for the ill-used but ever kind Dick. Potter's line-and-gouache illustrations, done in hues of stone, timber, and the dark earthy dyes that dominate medieval textiles, provide cartooned but atmospheric detail of life in fourteenth-century London. Some of her sequential panels are ambiguously [End Page 18] separated, making it difficult to understand the action at first, but the visuals are lively, and the figures' staged and exaggerated postures echo the melodramatics of pantomime, which will help younger listeners connect to the emotional content of the timeless tale. Hodges includes a sparse note on Whittington's real history and offers further context on the bells and chapbooks that preserved and perpetuated his story. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Referência(s)