Books that teach point of view are so fabulous to have on hand, because teaching perspective to young children can be downright challenging. It’s a tough concept for kids to grasp, whether you are trying to encourage them to view a situation from someone else’s perspective, or teach them to look at their own lives through different lenses. They All Saw a Cat, a favorite book about point of view, will definitely help. Check it out!
There is so much value in books that teach point of view to kids. Why? Check it out!
Every time an old boss of mine walked into my office, I saw a devil. Literally- horns, an evil smile and a face like fire. One evening, years after I had quit that job, my husband and I ran into this old boss at a restaurant. He could not believe this lady was the same person I’d always spoken about, as her southern charm and sweet as sugar demeanor won him over. All he saw were gardenias throughout our quick conversation, while I still watched her breathe fire.
This encounter was what I thought of when I first read Brendan Wenzel’s remarkable debut entitled They All Saw A Cat, a fabulous book that teaches point of view to children. In this story, a cat walks through the world, complete with whiskers, ears and paws. Yet, as he comes across various animals, the cat is perceived in astonishingly different ways, from predator to huggable house pet, in color or in black and white, from up above or from down below, and his body parts seem to morph and change based on the eyes through which the cat is viewed. The text is spare, letting the beautiful and unique illustrations impart whether the observer views the cat as friend or foe.
RELATED: We’ve got all the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
They All Saw a Cat is such a powerful read about point of view!! Every character in this remarkably intelligent book views something unique when looking at the exact same cat. Clearly shaped by their prior experiences and interactions with the cat, their perceptions of the animal vary tremendously and convey to the reader how perspective and personal interactions can fashion our views of the world. This book offers a phenomenal segue for discussing observation and for teaching perspective with young children, and it helps them understand that we all have unique relationships with every person (or animal!) we come across. They All Saw a Cat is a brilliant debut picture book and seems to be the first of its kind. It is no surprise that there was an 8-publisher auction for this book! This is a true treasure. Don’t delay – order it now!
Looking for other fabulous picture books that teach point of view? Check these out!
Want the book? Get it here! They All Saw a Cat, by Brendan Wenzel. *This is an affiliate link!
Leave a Reply