Cat Who Came in Off the Roof

Annie M.G. Schmidt (1911-95) was regarded as the Queen of Dutch Children's Literature and her books have been an essential part of every Dutch childhood for the last fifty years. She trained as a librarian but burst onto the literary scene when the newspaper she was working for discovered her gift for children's verse.. Having won numerous awards during her lifetime, including the1989 Hans Christian Andersen Award, Schmidt is now included in the Canon of Dutch History taught to all Dutch schoolchildren, alongside Spinoza, Anne Frank and Vincent van Gogh.David Colmer has won several international awards for his translations of Dutch and Flemish novels, poetry and children's books. He has translated much of Annie M.G. Schmidt's work.

Amusing and uplifting The Sunday Times To discover Annie MG Schmidt is to feel like the cat who got the cream The Times My find of the year to date -- Lorna Bradbury Daily Telegraph The beauty here is in the writing itself Daily Telegraph Weekend Magazine Books of this quality are a rare thing -- NRC Handelsblad This really is a lost classic... Everything about thebook smacks of charm - even the front cover, with its very clever and subtle representation of the circumstances on the pages within The Bookbag This story is a gift to the English language and a reminder that we should not forget the wealth of tales written abroad. We Love this Book It's a satisfying and triumphant fantasy-one that will have readers watching what they say in front of their cats. Publishers Weekly A charming, refreshing, and funny treat Kirkus, starred review This is the first time that the story has been published in English translation, which is fantastic as it's such a great book Jennifer's Little World One of the best-loved Dutch children's writers of all time... Beautifully packaged... and charmingly translated -- Michele Hutchinson Pen Atlas Annie is not a writer, she's a miracle! -- Guus Kiijer A funny and yet quietly profound tale of courage, friendship and what it really means to be human...The narrative beautifully unfolds with unseen and fine tuning, climaxing with an exciting and rich ending which is deeply satisfying Playing by the Book A humorous, surreal and satisfying story with an old fashioned feel Book Trust Books We Like Annie M. G. Schmidt skilfully captures what children and adults alike find so fascinating about cats; their individual and often humanlike personalities...this magical story can be enjoyed by cat-lovers of any age Chesire and Wain Funny and sweet Book Walrus This delightful fantasy... will have young readers suspending disbelief and flipping pages to get to the end Booklist Hilarious... the overall mood is a piquant geniality that makes it pretty much catnip for feline fanciers The Horn Book