Thoroughly charming.Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Original.Booklist(starred review)
"A story about selflessness, friendship and the importance of seeking unity through difference."Shelf Awareness (starred review)
Two unlikely friendsFederico, in sixteenth-century Rome, and Bee, in present-day New Jerseyare linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo Da Vincis mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee. Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdocks Da Vincis Cat is a thrilling, time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novel will engross anyone who loved When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in Time.
Federico doesnt mind being a political hostage in the Popes palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he must admit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a moment later is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector from the future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters with Federico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his plans take a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save a dying girl.
Bee never wanted to move to New Jersey. When a neighbor shows Bee a sketch that perfectly resembles her, Bee, freaked out, solidifies her resolve to keep to herself. But then she meets a friendly cat and discovers a mysterious cabinet in her neighbors attica cabinet that leads her to Renaissance Rome. Bee, who has learned about Raphael and Michelangelo in school, never expected shed get to meet them and see them paint their masterpieces.
This compelling time-slip adventure by Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is full of action, mystery, history, art, and friendshipand features one unforgettable cat.
Includes black-and-white spot art throughout of Da Vincis cat by Caldecott Medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, as well as an authors note about the art, artists, and history that inspired the novel .
