They All Saw a Cat (2016) by Brendan Wenzel is a visually stunning and conceptually brilliant picture book that explores perspective, perception, and the subjectivity of experience. Through simple, rhythmic text and breathtaking mixed-media illustrations, the book follows a cat as it walks through the world, seen through the eyes of various creatures—a child, a dog, a fox, a fish, a bee, and even a flea.
Each observer perceives the cat differently:
- The dog sees a scrawny, elongated rival.
- The mouse views the cat as a monstrous, sharp-toothed predator.
- The fish glimpses a blurry, distorted shape through water.
- The bee’s compound eyes render the cat as a mosaic of dots.
Wenzel’s artistry—using collage, pencils, oils, and digital tools—transforms the same cat into a dozen mesmerizing iterations, teaching young readers that how we see the world depends on who we are. The book’s refrain, “the cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws…” ties the variations together with gentle repetition.
A Caldecott Honor winner, They All Saw a Cat is both a playful romp and a profound meditation on empathy and relativity.
