CHIN YU MIN AND THE GINGER CAT

Reduced to penury, the conceited widow of a Chinese official adopts an elegant cat that can catch fish with his tail. The cat's prowess restores Chin Yu Min's prosperity; more important, she comes to value his companionship. After inadvertently giving him to a passing beggar, she humbles herself before every beggar in the marketplace and spends her entire fortune to find him; once they're reunited, she's a changed woman—humble, hospitable, content with the mere presence of her feline friend. The original story by Armstrong (Hugh Can Do, 1992, etc.) resembles a folktale with its message about valuing friends for themselves. GrandPrÇ debuts with illustrations that glow with warmth, grace, and humor; her distinctive style features striking exaggerations of perspective and expression, plus an intense palette centered on red-purple and tawny orange. (Picture book. 6-10)