At the end of a birthday party, the best gift a little girl receives is her black-and-white tuxedo cat. In Tiptop Cat, author and illustrator C. Roger Mader portrays this cat’s independent and slightly mischievous new life. Seen from Tiptop’s perspective, the rich pastel illustrations depict the cat at eye-level as he explores under tables and beds, defies dizzying heights along the balcony railing and climbs neighborhood rooftops to his favorite spot: a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower from the top of the world.
The tranquility of his seemingly carefree life changes, however, when a pigeon lands on his balcony. The cooing of this city bird awakens the jungle beast in Tiptop. But as the furtive feline pounces, he discovers that he can’t fly and travels down, down, down—twisting and turning as only cats do—until he lands in the arms of a sidewalk merchant. Mader’s expressive artwork captures Tiptop’s dramatic events, as well as the shocked apartment dwellers who witness his plummet.
Although a trip to the vet reveals that Tiptop is still intact, it’s his spirit that’s been broken. Banishing himself to hiding in closets, behind curtains and under rugs, Tiptop resigns to a docile life. When a crow appears, his inner beast stirs again. This time, the curious cat goes up, up, up to the top of the world again, where serenity awaits as sunset falls over the Parisian expanse. Readers, whether cat lovers or those with a penchant for adventure, will consider Tiptop Cat a topnotch tale.
