The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem ＂Pangur Bán＂

★紐約時報年度最佳繪本
★加拿大總督文學獎最佳繪本

　　這是一本安靜的繪本，關於一位修道士和一隻白貓。

　　修道士過著極簡單的生活：他在深夜裡鑽研學問，渴望尋求真理。
　　他的白貓胖哥，同樣過著簡單生活：牠在黑暗中追逐獵物。
　　當夜晚逐漸離去，黎明將至，
　　這一人一貓，是否都能找到自己苦苦追尋的東西？

　　此書改寫自古老的愛爾蘭詩歌Pangur Bán，翻閱時，可以感受到書中充滿了聲音：微風輕拂、枝葉觸碰、草蟲鳴叫、彩蝶拍翅、粗陶瓶斟水、羊皮紙翻頁、火焰舔拭燭芯、老鼠倉皇四竄……如果屏氣凝神，甚至可以聽見老修道士心中的喃喃自語。

　　作者喬艾倫波嘉（Jo Ellen Bogart）的文字簡單卻充滿節奏，而榮獲多項大獎肯定的《路邊的小花》繪者席尼史密斯（Sydney Smith），繪製的圖畫線條乾淨簡單卻極為生動，書中的白貓胖哥在黑暗與搖曳的昏黃燭光中，或活潑敏捷的追逐獵物，或依偎在老修道士懷裡，每個神態與動作都讓人愛不釋手。

各界推薦
　　融合了冥想的繪本，令人驚嘆。不僅歌頌人與動物之間的情誼，也描述我們追求知識時最純粹的快樂。──《學校圖書館雜誌》

　　一段關於追求快樂的精緻故事，也是一段不論年輕或熟齡讀者都會有共鳴的故事。──《出版者周刊》

　　兼具閱讀深度與幽默感的藝術作品，任何對物質必需、情誼、自我實現議題有興趣的人，都能從這本書中得到滿足。──《書單》雜誌

　　如果有一本書可以讓孩子冷靜下來，讓他們陷入沉思中（甚至是上床睡覺之前？），那麼，就是這本書了。──《紙與筆》雜誌
 
 　　——中文書介摘錄自《白貓與修道士》，玉山社出版

A monk leads a simple life. He studies his books late into the evening and searches for truth in their pages. His cat, Pangur, leads a simple life, too, chasing prey in the darkness. As night turns to dawn, Pangur leads his companion to the truth he has been seeking.

The White Cat and the Monk is a retelling of the classic Old Irish poem ＂Pangur Bán.＂ With Jo Ellen Bogart’s simple and elegant narration and Sydney Smith’s classically inspired images, this contemplative story pays tribute to the wisdom of animals and the wonders of the natural world.

作者簡介

　　Jo Ellen Bogart was born in Houston, Texas, and received degrees in elementary education and psychology from the University of Texas in Austin. Her best-selling children s books have been nominated for and won many different awards, including the Ruth Schwartz Award, the Mr. Christie s Book Award, the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award. Her picture book Gifts was selected for the TD Grade One Book Giveaway program, as well as the IBBY Honor List. She lives in Guelph, Ontario.

　　Sydney Smith was born in rural Nova Scotia, and has been drawing since an early age. Since graduating from NSCAD University, he has illustrated multiple children s books, including the wordless picture book Sidewalk Flowers, and he has received awards for his illustrations, including the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration. He now lives in Toronto and works in a shared studio space in Chinatown and goes to the library or the Art Gallery of Ontario on his breaks.