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"The Story Of Mrs. Lovewright And Purrless Her Cat" by Lore Segal

Author:

Lore Segal

Illustrator:

Paul Zelinsky

Publisher:

Atheneum, 2005

Reviewed by:

Nancy Hill, Milwaukee Public Schools

Mrs. Lovewright, an odd and rather chilly woman, attempts to find warmth and coziness with a cat. Dylan delivers groceries to Mrs. Lovewright and when she asks, he brings her a very small, but cute kitten. When queried as to what she will call him, the old woman replies, “Purrly”, as she hopes the kitten will do just that upon her lap. From the very beginning it is clear that Purrly will not be all that Mrs. Lovewright had been hoping for. Instead of curling up upon her lap, the small kitten takes over her footstool. Feeling a bit chilly, off to bed, under the blanket Mrs. Lovewright goes, ending her first evening with her new companion.

In this manner, the small, but very cute Purrly, persistently exhibits his independence. As Mrs. Lovewright tries repeatedly to stroke and hold the small creature, trying to teach it to purr, off it goes, clawing and heading for the door. Meow it may, when stalking away, but purr it does not. As it grows and refuses to purr, Mrs. Lovewright decides to rename her friend Purrless, since that is indeed who he is. Repeatedly an attempt at cuddling with the kitten is made, but to no avail. Dylan, the delivery man, reappears from time to time and comments on the kitten’s growth and progress. However, the reader knows better and Mrs. Lovewright informs Dylan of his misconceptions. Purrless begins to taunt Mrs. Lovewright and won’t even let her out of her chair to go to bed! “That is mean,” she declares to the cat. Having fallen asleep in the chair, Mrs. Lovewright awakes to find that her cat is gone. Off to bed she goes, only to find more conflict with Purrless, as that is where he has chosen to sleep! Zelinsky’s humorous artwork supports this text nicely. The “chilly” Mrs. Lovewright is delightfully presented and excludes the coolness expected of this old woman. The loftiness of the cat, as cat lovers are sure to feel a connection to, is also well depicted. As for the outcome of these two companions…look into it for yourself. Unlike most picture books for children, this one does not end as expected. A fun read aloud for younger audiences and a great gift for pet lovers, especially those in the feline category!