Who's Afraid of the Dark?

Christine Linge is a past director of the Toronto & District Parent
Co-operative Preschool Corporation and a freelance writer.

When Maurice the cat encounters four “mystery cats” one morning, he
immediately describes scary shadows he saw the night before, but denies
having been afraid. Unimpressed, the strays are more interested in
Maurice’s free food. This scene repeats daily: Maurice brags of his
valor in the face of spooky events; the homeless cats ask for handouts.
One morning the strays confess their fear of night-time storms. Though
sceptical, Maurice is moved to search for them when a bad storm strikes.
This turns into a terrifying experience, but upon finding his friends,
he pretends he is only frightened for them. The next morning, Maurice is
about to continue his bragging, but is moved by the lovely sunrise to
simply admire the beauty around him.

Since Duchesne is the “award-winning author of more than 20 books,”
the many puzzling gaps in this narrative may be attributable to an
untranslatable cultural understanding or to the existence of previous
volumes about Maurice and his cohorts. What, the reader wonders, are
“mystery cats”? How did Maurice come to know them? Why does he
instantly and repeatedly tell tales of terror to these poor strays? Why
do the strays suddenly talk about their fears instead of asking for
food? If Maurice is brave enough to seek his friends in a storm, why is
he unable to admit his fears to them?

Happily, Doris Barrette’s vivid and colorful illustrations help
bridge the gaps in the narrative. Recommended with reservations.