Boris
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
“It’s a grand experience, this set of poems, this rumination on the cat and the human condition” (School Library Journal).
Boris is a big gray cat who loves sleeping and playing and exploring and hunting. And his owner loves him for all of his simple cat ways.
But Boris, typical as he may be, is part of a much larger story in this moving exploration of love, longing, compassion, and most of all, the continuous give-and-take of companionship.
Newbery Medal recipient Cynthia Rylant’s powerful collection of poems is sure to find its place in the hearts of readers of all ages, especially those who have been lucky enough to experience the many joys and hardships that come with true friendship.
“Makes a great introduction for readers not comfortable with poetry. The poems tell an accessible, compelling story . . . Warm and tender.” —The Horn Book
“With characteristic sensitivity, Rylant addresses one of her cats in a set of conversational free-verse poems—recalling the day she brought him and his sister home from the humane shelter, warning him about predatory eagles, congratulating him on bonding rather than battling with a new neighbor’s cat and on surviving a solitary jaunt into the surrounding woods.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This can be appreciated for the sway of the writing or for its celebration of cats.” —Booklist
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The narrator of Rylant's (Missing May) fragmented poem addresses her beloved cat, Boris, adopted from a humane shelter, along with his sister. The frequently choppy free verse compiles anecdotes about Boris's experiences and personality, intermittently drawing parallels between the narrator's life and that of her pet. She observes that humans, like cats, enjoy the outdoors in summer as long as the weather is fair and, in a somewhat somber passage, laments that humans are born alone rather than in litters: "I have lived/ a good while, Boris,/ and I have never/ gotten used to/ being alone./ But you, Boris,/ you have always/ had your sister/ and this is why/ you don't go looking/ for new friends,/ as I do,/ or haunt the coffee shops,/ as I have,/ or worry that/ no one likes you." The owner's tone turns acerbic as she recounts an episode in which a neighbor complains that Boris came through the pet flap into her home, where he sprayed her couch and scratched her cat. After likening the woman to girls she knew in college who "were going to sure see to it/ that you didn't have/ too much fun, missy," the narrator at first apologizes and "then I came to my senses./ Accountant's wife: Screw you./ I know your kind./ I'm keeping my cat,/ so just plug up your hole./ And while you're at it,/ cover that/ stupid pet flap." These meditations may be too personal and introspective for most readers, even those with a special fondness for felines. Ages 14-up.
