Toni Barker October 19, 2014 Genre: Fictional Picture Book

Literary Analysis

Bibliographic Information:
Newman, L. (2004). The Best Cat in the World. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young
Readers.
Plot:
Logical Series of Happenings: The Best Cat in the World has a very well-constructed plot that
follows a series of happenings that is logical. Victors cat Charlie dies, he grieves, and he gets a
new cat; Victor doesnt like Shelley at first, and then becomes attached to her. The story follows
the plot in a straightforward way that never loses meaning or strays away from the plot.
Climax: The climax of the story is when Victor continually compares his new cat Shelley to
Charlie. He constantly points out the things that Shelley does differently than Charlie negatively.
This causes Victor to continue to think that getting a new cat was a bad idea because no cat could
ever be the best cat in the world like Charlie was.
Setting:
Where does the story take place? : The story primary takes place in Victors home. The only
other location mentioned in the story is the veterinarians office when Charlie begins to get sick
from old age.
How does the author indicate time? : The only time the author indicates a time of a day is the
last page, as she describes the moon and the stars. The concept of time throughout the story is
indicated by Victor going to bed and waking up. The author also describes the amount of time
that passed from the time Charlie was diagnosed, to his death, to Victors mourning, and when
he and his mother adopted Shelley. I think that the author created emphasis on the passing of
time because the amount of time that passes while Victor is mourning is important for the reader
to know.
Theme:
Theme: The theme of this story is mourning and moving on. Victor has an extremely hard time
after his cat Charlie dies. After a few weeks pass, his mother takes him to adopt a new cat named
Shelley. At first, Victor negatively compares Shelley to Charlie and doesnt like her very much.
After a while, Victor begins to notice things that Shelley does that Charlie never did positively.
That night before bed, Victor asks Shelley, Whos the best cat in the world? which shows that
Victor had finally accepted Charlies passing and moved on.
Is the theme worth imparting to children? : It is very important to impart this theme to
children. This could be used as a self-help book for children who have lost a pet. Explaining that
it is okay to be sad but it is also okay to one day move on with another pet could be a very eye-
opening lesson for a sad child.
Characterization:
Character development and growth: Victor grows significantly throughout the book. After
being so depressed, he is certain that there will never be another cat in his life that is better than
Charlie. As he spends more and more time with Shelley, he realizes that it is unfair to compare
her to Charlie so negatively because in fact, she is not Charlie. He realizes that all cats can be
great cats in their own way and eventually refers to Shelley as the best can in the world. This
growth was very important because without taking such steps, Victor would remain sad and
depressed.
How the author reveals characters: Most of the characters are introduced naturally through
narration. Other characters that play a small part in the story are introduced in conversation
through Victor.
Style:
Dialogue: Newmans story has a large amount of dialogue. Such a portion of dialogue is
important because the theme of the story is a feeling, and talking about feelings often helps get
past them.
Mood: The overall mood of the story is a calm one. It begins as having a sad mood when
Charlie dies. The author describes Victors sadness so well. I cried and cried for two whole
days. Mom didnt even make me go to school. Mom made my favorite supper, macaroni and
cheese, three nights in a row, but every time I tried to eat it, I just cried. Without such detail in
creating the mood, the reader would be unable to connect with Victors feelings as well.
Point of View:
Is the point of view from which the story is told appropriate to the purpose of the book? :
The story is told from Victors point of view in first person. I believe that this point of view is
very appropriate to its purpose because the whole story centers on Victor and how he deals with
the death of his cat.
Why did the author choose this particular point of view? : The story being told in Victors
point of view was very important because the reader is able to receive more information and
details on Victor and what he is growing through. I think that the author chose to write the story
in first person because it makes Victors feelings more authentic and thusly relatable. There
would not be much of a connection between Victor and the reader if it was told by his mother.

Characteristics Specific to Genre:
Illustrations: The author is able to describe to the reader how Victor is feeling in his saddest
moments, but the illustrations take those feelings to another level. On page 5, the picture is
amazing. The way the illustrator was able to create such sadness in Victors eyes really helped
create meaning.
Medium and Style of Illustrations: The illustrators use of color helps convey meaning in the
story. The calming pastel colors used in the saddest illustrations adds to the current mood of the
story. His use of watercolors flow with Victors feelings extremely well.
Cover: I do not feel that cover of the book anticipates the story. When I first looked at the cover,
I expected to read a book about a boy expressing his love for his cat and maybe some adventures
they have together. But then, when you turn to the back cover, the boy is with another cat, and
that is when I knew there was more to the story.
Reflections:
I really connected to this story. Though I was much older than the boy seems to be in the
story, I lost a cat that I had grown up with since I was in the first grade. I know exactly how
Victor feels because when you have a pet for so long that you connect with, it is hard to imagine
loving another pet the same way.
I would have this book in a second to third grade classroom. I would use this book to
teach my students about the feelings that come with the loss of a pet and how to work through
them. It is an experience that many children can relate to or will relate to one day, so it is
important for them to know that it will be ok and that it is ok to move on. It doesnt mean you
love the other pet any less.