I was enchanted with some of the elements in the pictures. The cats, the shepherds, the holy family.

English children's author Robert Westall, who was twice awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal - he won in 1975 for The Machine-Gunners, and in 1981 for The Scarecrows - turns his attention to the story of the Nativity in this lovely Christmas picture-book. Following the adventures of a displaced Egyptian feline, heavily pregnant and looking for shelter one cold night in Bethlehem, it presents the birth of Jesus as seen by a cat. Although distrusted by Joseph, whose superstitions about cats make him hostile, the feline finds an advocate in gentle Mary, who makes her welcome, provides her with a safe place to give birth to her kittens, and lets her watch over the "human kitten." After observing the many visitors, from shepherds to kings, who come to visit this extraordinary child, the cat finds herself journeying, together with her offspring, and with this human family, back to her home in Egypt...

Recommended to me as a superior "Nativity from a Cat's Perspective" story, after I read and reviewed Michael Foreman's Cat in the Manger, this lovely tale makes the reader feel that she is right there, feeling the cold wind and the cat's desperation, seeing (and smelling!) the beautiful angels who appear at Christ's birth, and sensing the extraordinary atmosphere around this unique child. I appreciated the humor in Westall's telling - the amusement of the angels, at the fact that the animals can see them, but Joseph can't; the working class accent used for the shepherds - and found the artwork by Sophy Williams to be just lovely. I did wonder a bit at the description of the land as "Jordan" - Bethlehem was part of the ancient Kingdom of Judea/Judah, a part of the world sometimes referred to as Palestine (depending upon the era), but never as Jordan - but leaving that odd naming choice aside, The Witness is an outstanding Christmas tale, one I would recommend to anyone looking for Nativity stories, particularly from an animal's perspective. ( )