Book Review: But Who Will Bell the Cats?

The Horn Book Magazine

Cynthia von Buhler But Who Will Bell the Cats?; illus. by the author 32 pp. Houghton 9/09 ISBN 978-0-618-99718-3 $16.00

Von Buhler 's droll upstairs /downstairs tale is introduced by the Aesop's fable on the value of belling a cat - and the danger to the mouse who dared do it. Here the mouse hero and his brown bat friend live in the cellar of a castle, while the princess and her eight pampered cats live a life of opulence upstairs. The cats have plenty to eat, safe places to sleep, books to read, and fancy parties to attend; Mouse and Brown Bat live on scraps, sleep in boxes, and bathe under a drainpipe. But Mouse is not without wiles. He is constantly scheming to put bells around the cats' necks so they can be detected, leaving Mouse and Brown Bat free to enjoy the splendors of the castle. Mouse's many plans fall flat until he finally figures out how to use the sweet princess to do his work. Dark, complicated mixed-media illustrations bring a humorously creepy feel to the tale. A fancy typeface for the upstairs story contrasts nicely with the pseudo-handwritten type accompanying Mouse's story. One quibble - only occasionally is there any contrast in light between the castle above and the cellar below; the glossy pages always feel dark, even when it is daytime or party time. The phrase "belling the cat" is unlikely to re-enter the lexicon, but this story of an indefatigable mouse should find a welcome place on the shelves of any castle ... or library. R.L.S.

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