John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner illustrated by Ron Brooks

Rose and her dog John Brown have a comfortable life together but this is disturbed by the arrival of a cat. Rose likes the cat. John Brown does not. Does this all seem very simple?  It is not. As you read this book, and I have read it many many times, more and more layers are revealed about these complex relationships. 

Every now and then I think it is surely time for me to talk about John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat here on this blog and then I decide no - it's just too hard. Why? I have such strong feelings about this book. I love it SO much. Anything I say here will surely not do this exquisite text, and equally poignant and skilful illustrations, justice.

If you are a student studying the art of picture books, John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat is one you will want to study carefully. It is picture book perfection. Here are some things to think about:

Illustrations:

• Hunt for the tiny details - the clock, the paintings on the wall, the photo of Rose's husband, her slippers which later John Brown uses as a comfort when he is pondering the problem of how to get Rose up and out of bed.
• Think about the fine details of cross hatching - all done by hand. Each one would have taken hours and hours of work.
• Think about inside and outside views.
• The eyes of the cat are important. Compare them over the pages of the book.
• Notice all the patterns - wall paper, quilt, wire fence (chook pen), and wooden fences.
• How does Ron show this is a cosy home? Notice the fire place, the tea pot, the indoor plants and flowers in vases and even the old crockery in glass cabinets. 
• Think about the way this book invites you to use all your senses - the ticking clock, the smell of old furniture, the chill of the night air, the heat from the fire and the warmth of  holding John Brown close.

Book Design:

• Look at the text placement at the bottom of each page presented as a long white strip
• Compare the pages where some have one illustration in a white, slightly undefined frame and others are full spreads which bleed into the edges.
• Take a close look at the frame shape used around the title and creator details on the cover.
• Think about the way John Brown and Rose are moving forward - left to right. 
• Take a look at this blog post which explores various features of illustrations in famous picture books including John Brown. 

Text:

• How will you read lines such as "John Brown would not look."; "I don't see any cat";  "There's nobody there"; and "We don't need you, cat." Think about how emphasis can change meaning and tone.
• Think about the pacing used by Jenny Wagner. You simply have to read the lines "John Brown shut his eyes" slowly and then pause. 
• Notice the page turns. 
• Jenny Wagner is not afraid to repeat words. This is a powerful tool - "No!' said John Brown, and he pulled the curtains shut. 'No, I won't let him in."
• Consider the magical implications of the circle John Brown draws around the house and the way this is a midnight cat, a black cat. Warding off evil?
• Rose puts out the milk and "every night, when Rose was not looking, John Brown tipped it out." How does this make you feel? What is going on here? 
• Word placement is so important - "he woke her gently"; "He watched as she dozed by the fire"; "His eyes were like lamps, and his fur shone against the ragged sky."

If you can find a copy of Drawn from the Heart: a memoir by Ron Brooks read chapter five (page 105). In this essay Ron explains his own difficulties with this wonderful book and all of the work he did over and over again to get it right. 

"I came to see that the story had a lot to say about many things - about different kinds of love, about conflicting loyalties, about possessiveness. It was perhaps not so much about jealousy as about the wish to protect what one has, or to regain what has been lost."

"A great deal of the imagery in John Brown is drawn from my grandparents house ... an old Victoria weatherboard, with a verandah across the front and down one side ... There were flower beds all around the house, leading out through the fruit trees to the clothesline and the chook-yard... "

"I make suggestions in the illustrations, provide starting points, things to fiddle with and speculate about, but leave open possibilities so that each viewer can find their own connections, and use them in their own way."

John Brown was first published in 1977 and I rejoice to see it is still in print especially when you consider that so many very fine Australian children's picture books have disappeared. Take a look here to see a video of the whole book.

In 1996 Australia Post released a set of stamps to celebrate the Children's Book Council of Australia one of which featured an image from John Brown, Rose and the Midnight Cat which won Picture Book of the Year in 1978.

Further reading:

Here is a detailed analysis of the text

Here is the Kirkus review (spoiler alert the reviewer in 1978 did not like this book)

I found this alternate cover which I think might be from the UK edition - what do you think of this?