Who can resist a charming story about cats? Charm (An amazing story of a little black cat) written and illustrated by the talented Leyla Atke it has it all: it’s a story about love, loss and moving on, despite the pain of loss that exists when one’s beloved pet dies and leaves an empty cat-shaped hole. in one’s heart. How can such an abyss be filled? And how did feelings for the handsome black cat, whom the narrator calls Charm, develop in the first place?
In Charm, the author weaves a story that is, in itself, charming. Atke introduces the short but sweet book by recalling, in the first chapter, how Charm came into her life and changed her forever. She has the first-person narrator talk about “a hot summer day in June 2006” when he was “going to leave work for a break.” fit the hairstyle into the busy day of it. Such are the moments when fate, or God, enters our plans and sometimes, if we are lucky, changes them in ways that we never planned, but that bring a touch of happiness. to our lives.
At a busy intersection, on the way to her hair date, the narrator notices “something small and black” in the middle of the street, between the speeding cars. She notices that she is moving and decides to see what she is, so she stops her car and gets out to get a closer look. As she approaches the object, she sees that it is “a little black kitten sitting in the middle of the road.” With cars “waiting for a green light on both sides”, she realizes that she has a chance to rescue the kitten and takes it.
Even then, after the narrator saves the kitten, she’s not sure what to do with it and considers whether she should just “drop it off at the park,” which is nearby. However, surprised by how cute and gentle the kitten is, even though it is dirty and its fur “smells like kerosene”, she takes the animal to her aunt’s house. She, like the narrator, has her own cat of her own, but agrees to “protect the kitten only until evening”. That allows the narrator to go back to work, think about what happened, and make the decision to keep the kitten.
I don’t want to reveal anything more, except to say that she decided to keep the little black kitten and name him Charm. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Leyla Atke’s book, and her wonderful illustrations help give the reader a genuine idea of what Charm must have been like and how the kitty managed to, well, find her way into the narrator’s life.
However, there is something else I should mention about the book. It is written primarily for young teens and up. What finally happens to Charm is sad, and the description of the cat’s body after his death may be too much for younger readers, although the author is honest in recounting the details. Likewise, the author writes that “vaccination and neutering” will be essential for a new kitten that enters her life, whom she sees for the first time “a couple of steps from Charm’s grave”, and whom she also decides call Charm. These elements do not detract (at least not in my humble opinion) from the appeal of the book; but I thought I should mention these things, so that if someone decides to buy it for younger children, they know that children may come to them with some very interesting questions about death and the definition of “castration”.
Charm (An amazing story of a little black cat) is a truly charming story about how much a kitten can affect a person’s life and bring them joy. If you’re an animal lover and maybe have a cat or have had one in the past, you’ll definitely want to add this delightful short book to your reading lists. It would also make a great gift for a cat lover in your life. I highly recommend it Charm to anyone who has ever owned, or currently owns, a kitten or cat.
