Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky and Charlie

Title	Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky and Charlie
Publication Type	Book
Year of Publication	1986
Authors	Wilson, Budge
Publisher	Nimbus Publishing
City	Halifax
Descriptors	Animals; Cats; Easy Reader; English Language; Friendship; Illustrated; Nova Scotia
Abstract	Set in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, this is the story of Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky who, at the age of sixty-five, has grumpily given up on life, and of Charlie, the ugly little kitten who teaches him to love it again. This easy reader, published in author Budge Wilson's home province of Nova Scotia, is illustrated by Terry Roscoe Boucher. The illustrations are simple sketchy line drawings, primarily in black and white with highlights of green wash throughout.
Jurisdiction	Nova Scotia
Age Range	6-10

Author Profile:

Budge Wilson

Quotation:

"Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky walked up and down in his polka-dot pyjamas. He seemed to be thinking too. Suddenly he stopped pacing and faced Charlie. 'No!' he exclaimed, and then he said it again. 'No! I will not keep a cat in my house, and certainly not a cat like you!' He clapped his hands and stamped his bare foot. 'Get out!' he shouted, and pointed to the window" (24).

Reviews, Awards and Further Information

Themes:

Companion Animals; Older Adults; Memory

Analysis:

Memory: The slightest change in routine can trigger memories or alter one's feelings or mood. This is the case for Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky. The sudden arrival of Charlie, the runt of his neighbour's litter of kittens, is enough to shake Mr. Nijinsky out of the funk he's been in for several years. Yet it is not just Charlie's arrival, but the memories of Mr. Nijinsky's past that are the catalyst for his change in attitude. The kitten's scruffy black fur that "stand[s] all scraggly up in the air" reminds Mr. Nijinsky of his own boyhood hair, the subject of taunts. As well, how Charlie seems to think, move and even catch a mouse all remind Nijinsky of his childhood--memories Nijinsky had thought he'd forgotten. Nijinsky's seemingly reluctant adoption of Charlie is a bringing together of two ostracized characters who find that their private companionship improves their public relationships.

- Nicole Dixon, MA, MLIS

Review: Watson, Brenda. "Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky and Charlie." Canadian Materials for Young People (November, 1986).

Award: Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Award (1986-1987)