The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint

A brave and plucky orphan girl gets turned into a cat in The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint and illustrator Charles Vess. This fantasy novel is greatly expanded from a short story by the same duo, A Circle of Cats, published about 10 years ago.

The setting appears to be the southern Appalachians in the early twentieth century. Aspects of The Cats of Tanglewood Forest brought to mind Kate Atkinson's Life After Life and Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls, but this story is suitable for much younger audiences. Beautiful full-colour artwork and liberal borrowings from the Brothers Grimm, Native American mythology and Uncle Remus tales make this a perfect family read-aloud choice.

Readalikes: The Old Country (Mordicai Gerstein); Tree Girl (T.A. Barron); and The Flint Heart (Katherine and John Paterson).