Opening as Gypsy the cat lies secluded with her newborn kittens, and then flashing back to Gypsy's own days as a kitten, this lovely picture-book follows its eponymous feline heroine through the many stages of her development from brand new kitten to brand new mother. Gypsy learns the ways of cats - the 'first rule' of cleanliness, the pleasure of purring, the use of tail and claws - and then, when her adventuring takes her into a strange new world, the ways of humans. As a mature cat, who is allowed to come and go from her humans' house, she learns the ways of the wild, always observing, always storing away the knowledge of the world around her. One day she finds what she has been, all unknowingly, looking for, and takes a mate. Kittens, and the true wisdom of motherhood are not long to follow...

A beautiful book, one which pairs evocative, poetic text with breathtakingly realistic and delightful artwork in sepia tones, Gypsy is a picture-book that all cat-lovers would cherish, if they happened upon it. I only wish that I had encountered it first as a child, as I feel sure it would have been a perennial favorite! Written and illustrated by Kate Seredy, the Hungarian-American children's writer who was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1938 for her novel, The White Stag, this wonderful book is sadly now long out-of-print, and somewhat difficult to obtain. This seems a shame, because although some elements might feel a little dated - many cat-lovers these days would frown on the idea of an indoor-outdoor cat, although at the time of publication (1951) it would have been unremarkable - in general Gypsy is still a book with immense appeal. Every single illustration was beautiful - my favorites included the scene in which Gypsy lies with her children, as well as the one where she plays with her human's glasses as a young kitten - and many of the passages were thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. When Seredy writes on the first page of Gyspy's purr being "a song without words," of her tucking her kittens into "the gently curved crescent of herself," I felt a sense of delight and recognition that only increased as the story progressed. Highly, highly recommended to anyone looking for children's stories featuring cats, or for gorgeous book illustrations. ( )

This book was a gift to me about 60 years ago. It is a great cat book but what is really wonderful are the 25+ full page illustrations also by Kate Seredy. They depict Gypsy from birth up to becoming a mother herself. I wish they would reprint this book.
I often pick up the book just to enjoy the photos. ( )