“Federico in 16th Century Rome is being held captive by the Pope but mostly he just needs a friend. Bee a contemporary girl with problems of her own and Da Vicinci's cat might just be able to help. I can't wait to recommend this book to middle schoolers and as a great family read-aloud. It truly has something for everyone. It is historical fiction, fantasy and a mystery. It includes great artists, time travel, adventure and of course a cat! This is my favorite book by Catherine Murdock yet and that is saying a lot.”
— Cathy Fiebach, Main Point Books, Wayne, PA
Two unlikely friends--Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, and Bee, in present-day New Jersey--are linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo Da Vinci's mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee. Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Da Vinci's Cat is a thrilling, time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novel will engross anyone who loved When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in Time.
Federico doesn't mind being a political hostage in the Pope's palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he must admit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a moment later is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector from the future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters with Federico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his plans take a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save a dying girl.
Bee never wanted to move to New Jersey. When a neighbor shows Bee a sketch that perfectly resembles her, Bee, freaked out, solidifies her resolve to keep to herself. But then she meets a friendly cat and discovers a mysterious cabinet in her neighbor's attic--a cabinet that leads her to Renaissance Rome. Bee, who has learned about Raphael and Michelangelo in school, never expected she'd get to meet them and see them paint their masterpieces.
This compelling time-slip adventure by Newbery Honor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is full of action, mystery, history, art, and friendship--and features one unforgettable cat.
Includes an author's note about the art, artists, and history that inspired the novel .
