Scarlatti's Cat

by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, Carlyn Beccia (Illustrator)

Overview

Domenico Scarlatti, the great Italian composer, enjoys his cat's company when he plays harpsichord. Little does he know, his cat, Pulcinella, also dreams of composing her own music! One day, while chasing a mouse, she tumbles onto the harpsichord. Suddenly, she can't resist the urge to play. When she begins to play, Scarlatti's eyes widen…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467750059
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	66 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 9 Years

About the Author

Carlyn Beccia (pronounced Betcha) is an author, illustrator and graphic designer. Beccia's children's books, including Monstrous, The Raucous Royals, I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat, and They Lost Their Heads, have won numerous awards including the Golden Kite Honor, the International Reading Association's Children's and Young Adult Book Award, and the Cybils Award. If you would like to know what she has in her zombie preparedness kit, visit her at www.CarlynBeccia.com

Editorial Reviews

01/13/2014
Lachenmeyer’s (The Boo! Book) faux biography of a famous composer hits an odd off-note. When Pulcinella, the butterscotch cat that belongs to 18th-century Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, lands on the master’s harpsichord in pursuit of a mouse, Scarlatti discovers that the cat is as good a composer as he is. “Scarlatti started to push her off, but then he heard the melody she was playing. He was amazed.” He sets down the cat’s composition (there is, in fact, a Scarlatti piece nicknamed the “Cat fugue”) then tests Pulcinella again the next morning—and she plays even more beautifully. Is Scarlatti pleased? He is not. “What will become of me?” he cries. Then he packs the cat into a basket and gives her away. Even if it were true (biographies date the “Cat fugue” nickname to the 19th century), there’s little to laugh at in the image of silencing artistry that threatens one’s success—though it does, perhaps, say something about human nature. Beccia’s (Louisa May’s Battle) pale, waxworklike figures and baroque flourishes create a distinctive atmosphere and ensure that readers’ loyalties will remain with Pulcinella. Ages 4–9. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"According to legend, Domenico Scarlatti's Sonata in G Minor (generally known as the 'Cat's Fugue') was inspired by the composer's cat. This book tells the rest of the story. Pulcinella loves to listen to Scarlatti play his harpsichord, but what she really wants is to compose her own music. However, she never breaks his strict house rule—no one is allowed to touch his harpsichord. Then one day she spots a mouse in the music room and gives chase. The wild romp ends with Pulcinella falling from the drapes onto the harpsichord. She cannot resist the opportunity to play the music she hears in her dreams, and the astonished man writes down every note. His amazement turns to dismay as he wonders what will happen if word gets out that his cat is as good a composer as he is, so he gives her to the painter Louis-Michel van Loo, who, coincidentally, begins painting his greatest works soon after. Scarlatti gives Pulcinella as much credit for the music as he dares by telling people that he was inspired by his pet walking on his harpsichord keys when he wrote it. Beccia's painterly illustrations are evocative of the time period and have muted colors, plenty of detail, and a little whimsy thrown in for good measure, as when the mouse sports a lovely vest and plays a flute and Pulcinella has a 18th-century coif on her head. A fun historical read that could be used as a segue to discussing composers and artists or read simply as an amusing cat tale." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2013-12-24
Despite an intriguing premise, Lachenmeyer and Beccia's collaboration doesn't quite manage to produce a pleasing composition. Legend has it that Scarlatti's "Sonata in G Minor" was inspired by his pet cat, Pulcinella. Lachenmeyer uses this as a jumping-off point and imagines that the fancy feline has a particular interest in (and talent for) composition. Though initially stymied by Scarlatti's dictum that no one may touch his harpsichord, Pulcinella gets her chance one day when a bold mouse in a bright blue vest pops up and leads both cat and master on a merry chase. When her paws hit the keys, Pulcinella begins to play. Initially captivated, Scarlatti later worries about the impact of her talent on his livelihood and decides that passing his pet on to a friend is the best way to protect himself and other composers. Beccia's illustrations feature subdued colors, elaborate details and faux crackling to enhance the historical feel. Unfortunately, the stiffness of the figures, though artistically appropriate, creates a sense of distance. Unlikely events, uneven pacing, and the unsettling, if ultimately amusing, finale further reduce the already limited appeal. Music lovers might appreciate this slight story that ties the creation of a popular classical sonata to a pampered pet, but most young listeners will simply be left wondering what poor Pulcinella did to be abandoned by her owner. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews