THE CAT WHO LOVED MOZART

Nine-year-old Jennifer finds a stray cat on the way back from her piano lesson. She carries the cat home without looking for his owner, adopts the cat without asking permission, and stops practicing the piano to concentrate on winning over her new pet, now called Amadeus. The cat remains skittish and unapproachable until Jennifer practices her Mozart sonata (“for hours day after day”) for an upcoming contest, which wins her the cat’s attention and affection, and of course, a first-place ribbon. Sorenson’s (Hurricane!, 1998, etc.) dark, moody, full-bleed paintings capture the cat’s aloof nature and Jennifer’s serious and rather lonely life with her single father, and perhaps reflect the darker side of Mozart’s music and life as well. A perplexing illustration of Jennifer waiting backstage at the contest shows her in a scanty, slip-style red dress, nervously holding her father’s hand, with a huge empty bed inexplicably taking up the left-hand page. Mozart’s actual life is much more interesting than this story, and there are several biographies for this age group to help introduce his extraordinary life and music to young listeners. (author’s note, suggested reading) (Picture book. 4-8)