My version of Lewis Carol’s Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland

A nod to the fabulous local and world famous illustrator, Tomie de Paolo. Can you find which of his many books this cat appears in?

My version of Jan Brett’s Annie and the Wild Animals, this mother cat was a favorite of the bookstore owner’s daughter. If you look at the skiing family on the far side of the mural you’ll see that they have common coloration and have morphed from Richard Scarry’s style to Jan Brett’s. But what has happened to their mittens?

The landscape on this wall is to represent the farms of New England but I also had in mind Margaret Wise Brown’s Big Red Barn illustrated by Felicia Bond and Ms. Brown’s other great illustrators like Clement Hurd, Leonard Weisgard and  Garth Williams. The BFF cats on the trunk are a personal note to thank all the friends who supported me this year prior to doing the mural, as I battled ovarian cancer.

Inspired by another favorite author/illustrator from his book, Hi Cat! by Ezra Jack Keats.

LEFT: My interpretation of the fiesty kitten, Tush from Patricia Polacco’s Mrs. Katz and Tush  perches on the apple basket.

BELOW: Sanders, Gibson’s owner Michael Herrmann’s beloved dog, forever sleeps guarding those lost mittens of the kittens above who were skiing at the other end of the mural. The dog reminded me of all the faithful dogs in children’s literature like Old Yeller, Shiloh, Clifford and more... but I guess that’s for another mural.