Billy, the Condominium Cat by Esphyr Slobodkina

Billy, the Condominium Cat Reviews

• 
  Sheri

  As each year passes, we reminisce over the energetic and playful days of our past, longing for that which once was and rejecting the slow, gentle passing of time that seems to comprise more and more of our days.
  
  Billy and Bianca share that sentiment and dream of experiencing those carefree times doing what they each loved best. For a brief interim, they get a chance to live those dreams, and while they enjoy the change of pace, they can’t help but appreciate the quiet contentment found in the more leisurely pursuits of the golden years.
  
  A gentle reminder that we can appreciate the memories that are made every day, in times of gaiety and delight, and in times of peace and quiet.
• 
  Lobstergirl

  
  Aw. A heart-tugging story about an old woman and her old cat, who have moved from New Hampshire to a third-floor condominium in Florida and now do little except sit outside, knit, watch TV, and muse about their pasts, which were full of activity and laughter and children. Slobodkina, who was a founding member of American Abstract Artists, does stylized but more or less realistic sepia-toned illustrations here. She draws cats well, humans less well.
• 
  Robin

  Slow and gentle story.
• 
  Krista the Krazy Kataloguer

  A peculiar and unsatisfying story about an old woman and her cat, who live in a Florida condominium. The story focuses on how they got to the condominium: they lived in a house in New Hampshire, where the nieces and nephews came to visit, until the woman decided to move to Florida. Both the cat and the woman adjust to their new surroundings but miss the visits from the children. While the woman ages in the illustrations, the cat always looks like a kitten, which is disconcerting. The story didn't have any surprises and was rather flat. Disappointing.