A children’s book directly inspired by The Art Newspaper’s article on Claude Monet’s Japanese pottery cat, which sat in the dining room at his Giverny home, will be published in May. Monet’s Cat, written by Lily Murray and illustrated by Becky Cameron, is aimed at youngsters up to five—and at more mature cat lovers. The story was inspired by our article in August 2018, when we reported that the glazed cat, which had been sold off after the artist’s death, had recently been auctioned at Christie’s for $67,000. It was bought by a Tokyo art and coin dealer, Hideyuki Wada, who generously donated it to the Fondation Claude Monet, which runs the Giverny house and garden. In the book, the cat—named Chika—comes alive to explore Monet’s paintings. Chika causes chaos at a picnic lunch, gets lost in the smog of a train station and makes a splash in the lily pond. But can her famous owner keep up with her exploits?
• Monet’s Cat, written by Lily Murray and illustrated by Becky Cameron, Michael O’Mara Books, 32pp, £12.99 (hb)