The Rabbi's Cat

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 152 pages
• Published by: Pantheon May 22, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0375714642
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0375714641
• Book Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Sfar, the French cartoonist behind the Little Vampire children's books, has come up with a hilarious and wildly original graphic novel for adults. The nameless, scraggly-looking alley cat who narrates the story belongs to an Algerian rabbi in the '30s. When the cat eats a parrot, he gains the power of speech and tries to convince his master to teach him the Torah, raising the question of whether the appropriate age for his bar mitzvah should be in human years or cat years. Of course, being a cat, he has plenty of impertinent opinions about Judaism. That's a delicious setup on its own, but it gets better when the cat loses his speech again halfway through, and the story becomes a broader, more bittersweet comedy about the rabbi's family and the intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. The rabbi's daughter Zlabya marries a young man from a nonobservant family in France. The Algerian family's visit with their Parisian in-laws is the subject of the final and funniest section of the book. Sfar's artwork looks as mangy and unkempt as the cat, with contorted figures and scribbly lines everywhere, but there's a poetic magic to it that perfectly captures this cat's-eye view of human culture and faith. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–A slinky gray cat lives with a rabbi and his gorgeous young daughter. One day, the feline eats their parrot, only to find that he has gained the birds ability to talk. Witty and highly intelligent, the cat immediately decides that he wants to learn more about Judaism, from the Kabbalah to the Torah. Thus begins this funny, sad, spiritual, and utterly delightful trio of tales. The stories tell much about Jewish life in the 1930s, both in the initial setting of Algeria and in Paris. They also impart Jewish teachings and philosophies in a highly entertaining way, bringing to mind Jostein Gaarders Sophies World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy (Berkley, 1996). Sfar is predominantly known in this country for his Little Vampire childrens series (S & S), and the drawings have the colorful, cartoon quality of those works while still fitting the sophistication of these. His palette is a gorgeous mix of earth tones that perfectly captures the North African setting. There is plenty for teens to like–humor, romance, and theological questioning combined with a folkloric quality to bring to life a multifaceted work. Sfar is highly praised in France; heres hoping more of his creations are translated.–Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: The Rabbi's Cat (Hardcover) This book works on many different levels. I feel that the main theme of this work is summed up in one panel, when the rabbi says, "Blessed are thou, who allows us to transgress." There is an underlying theme of bitterness in this book; the rabbi is widowed; the cat wants to become a bar-mitzvah, Paris has changed the rabbi's family, and the wonderful singer can only find work as a clown. The main story is that of a cat narrating the events in the lives of his owners, a rabbi and his daughter. When the cat eats a parrot, he gains the power of speech, only to lose it when he wants to break one of the ten commandments. There is a lot of religious details the author has provided, but for some reason he left out one rabbinic tradition, that of a wife cutting her hair when she marries. Another theme is the role ignorance of Kabbalah and Talmud play in religious circles. In summary, this book is a wonderful tale, but not meant for kids, due to some of the translated language.