Product Description

Mesopotamian Blue cat Varjak Paw has never been outside before, but Varjak is forced out into the city when the sinister gentleman and his two menacing cats take over his home. With help from a mystical ancestor, he manages to overcome the challenges of survival, but can he save his family?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69759 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 259 pages

The Bookseller, 18th October 2002
A fine, enchanting story... an unexpected delight. Go with it and prepare to be delighted.

Financial Times, February 1, 2003
A story of finding your true strengths by learning to trust your instincts and think for yourself. Striking, edgy illustrations.

Guardian, January 18, 2003
Varjak Paw shows that home can be a constricting, unhappy and dangerous place...This all adds depth and grit to the book.

Customer Reviews

A compelling story: Trying to find your place in the world.
This book is great. I read it cover to cover in one afternoon. If you like compelling story telling, intriguing characters that leave you wanting for more and ideas that make you think; then this is for you.

The story telling has the fine craft of someone like Phillip Pullman (must have been all those drafts) but also has the imaginative quirks of someone perhaps a bit more off beat like Neil Gaiman. The book draws on elements from the best of story telling in a coming-of-age way. Varjak goes on an inner journey from confused, insecure cat, who is uncertain of his place in the world (isn’t this all of us?) to a cat who has learnt to trust in himself and friends and that pain and joy are part of life.

On the way, he finds out that not all cats get food in a bowl, not all humans are friendly, that things (especially dogs) might not be how they first appear, and of course how to fight.

The illustrations also add to the atmosphere of Varjak’s world (as might be expected from such a highly respected artist as McKean) and are well worth spending time over. Without giving too much away, other moments I liked: Varjak hunting, the interactions of Varjak and Holly (might there be love in the air?) and the empathy between the fearsome black cats. Some readers may find the dream device to speak to Jalal (the ancestor cat who does much of the teaching) a bit “seen that too much already in other books” however it does work quite effectively

The book sets the scene for more Varjak adventures and I look forward to the next one. I’d like to know more about the other gangs of cats, the history of Jalal and where Varjak is going to next in his life as he continues to find out what it means to be Varjak Paw. Like how we all have to learn who we are and our possible place in the world.

Genuinely creepy page turner
I read this as an adult choosing books for a children's library and highly recommend it for the older reader - probably about 9 up. I read it myself in one sitting, staying up way past my bedtime!

The book tells the story of Varjak, a kitten who longs for adventure and to escape from the confines of his complacent 'pure-bred' family. Sinister happenings mean that sooner than he thinks Varjak has to fight for survival, and also to find out what is really worth fighting for. What are the terrifying 'Vanishings'? And can Varjak learn the 'Way' of his warrior ancestor in time to save his friends?

The mix of fantasy with important themes, such as the impossiblity of ignoring evil while remaining good oneself, is never too heavy-handed. The illustrations are also excellent and evoke a real sense of danger. One critisism is a significant loose end which seems to be forgotten about at the exciting finale. But lets hope this just means there will be a sequel soon...

Cool Cats in Action
Varjak is the coolest feline for kids since Disney created the Aristocats. He may start off as a dreamy young Mesopotamian Blue from a sheltered family, but soon he learns the mean streets of the city as well as Top Cat. He wins the trust of the tough street cat Holly and finds Cludge the dog (but not before some extremely amusing conversations with cars, which he thinks are dogs) who help him win over his family and protect them, and the other animals of the city, from the sinister Gentlemen.

Varjak is in the great tradition of children's literature's unlikely heroes. But he demonstrates that his difference is his power, and through the dream-guidance of his ancestor Jalal, who teaches him the Way of the Paw, he becomes a courageous and generous leader. The book leaves you wondering about Varjak's future adventures -- will he and Holly become more than friends? Will the city be safe now the Gentlemen are gone? And will we see more of the terrifying and intriguing Sally Bones, Holly's arch-enemy. I defy even the most grown-up spine not to tingle at Dave McKean's eerily gorgeous illustration of Sally, brilliant white against a black background.
McKean's illustrations, particularly of the dream sequences, will bring the book to life for younger children and fascinate older readers who, like me, are fans of McKean's work. Their integration into the page is superb, and they leave plenty of room for the young reader's imagination.
My six-year-old trial subject loved the book so much that he is busy creating his own next adventure of Varjak in black crayon, and trying to learn the Way of the Paw with its subtle lessons of observation, self-knowledge and teamwork. So I say hurry up and write the next one, SF Said, or he will beat you to it!