Weatherill, Cat

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Weatherill, Cat

PERSONAL:

Born in Liverpool, England; married a musician. Education: Studied at Hull University.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Wales. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Performance storyteller. Worked variously as an actor and singer before becoming a professional storyteller in 1998. Has appeared on British television and radio programs.

WRITINGS:

Primary Playground Games: Ages 4 to 11, Scholastic (Leamington Spa, England), 2003.

Barkbelly, Puffin (London, England), 2005, illustrated by Peter Brown, Knopf (New York, NY), 2006.

Snowbone, Puffin (London, England), 2006, illustrated by Peter Brown, Knopf (New York, NY), 2007.

Wild Magic, Puffin (London, England), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Cat Weatherill is an English performance storyteller. Weatherill initially studied drama at Hull University in England and went on to a career as an actor and singer. She became a professional storyteller in 1998, performing at a number of international venues and on British television and radio. Her stories primarily relate to traditional folk tales from the United Kingdom.

In 2005 Weatherill published her first novel, Barkbelly. The novel introduces its title character, Barkbelly, a wooden boy who hatches from a wooden egg that falls from the sky. He is raised by a childless couple in a European fable setting that is populated by wooden people and magical hedgehogs. Barkbelly accidentally kills a playmate of his and flees, fearing stiff persecution. This leads to adventures on pirate ships, with a traveling circus, and in an industrial city. When Barkbelly finds out that he is one of many wooden people that inhabit the land, he searches for his roots.

J.A. Kaszuba Locke, writing on the BookLoons Web site, called the book "unique," adding that Weatherill's "refreshing style of lyrics is enchanting, magical, absorbing, and delectable." From the start, Locke observed that the "cover image of a boy running for his life captures the eye, while the illustrations inside show ‘moody, full-page images’ suitable to the story." Locke also commented that "Weatherill's tale blends adventure, fantasy, and emotion, with exceptional imaging and phrasing." Sue Giffard, writing in School Library Journal, found the book's "characters rather one-dimensional." Giffard also took issue with the story's ending, calling it "convenient rather than convincing." Noting Weatherill's background in oral storytelling, Giffard felt that such an approach in writing "does not translate wholly successfully to the longer chapter-book format." Booklist contributor Holly Koelling thought that the book's "moody" illustrations "suit the novel's fable-like sensibility." Koelling described the book as "cleverly written and rich in character and detail." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews called the characterizations "brisk but effective," adding that the uncommon names make it easy to differentiate the characters. The same critic concluded that Barkbelly "is a unique creation that will find favor with a small, appreciative readership."

The following year Weatherill published a sequel to the story called Snowbone. Snowbone first appeared in Barkbelly, hatched in the hull of a pirate ship with other wooden people, known as Ashenpeakers. Her strong will and guided spirit lead her to make things right for her people, who are often made into slaves for nonwooden people. She gathers her friends and charges forward, through Ashenpeake Island, into a volcano, up in the air, and to the distant Nova Land, in her quest against the wrongs of slavery.

Booklist contributor Jennifer Mattson wrote that the story "ultimately rests upon Weatherill's rollicking storytelling." Mattson pointed out some parts in the plot development that she found "wobbly." She also feared some readers may find Snowbone "difficult" to relate to at first, but admired the character's "complexity." Mattson concluded that the book's "short, exciting chapters" are "ideal for sharing aloud." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the story as an "expansive" one with a "satisfying" ending. The same contributor concluded that the character's "growth from a voracious baby to a thoughtful, inspiring leader is both satisfying and convincing."

In 2007 Weatherill published her third novel, a tale loosely based on the legend of the Pied Piper, called Wild Magic. Jakob and his sister Marianna find themselves stuck in a magical realm. In order to go home, they must face the beauties and dangers of the world, primarily in the Whispering Forest, a place most feared. Throughout their trip, they are pursued by a beast who needs the children to break a centuries-old curse, his own magical prison.