Mimi's Dada Catifesto by Shelley Jackson

Jackson, Shelley. Mimi's Dada Catifesto. New York: Clarion Books, 2009. Print. ISBN: 978-0547126814.

Annotation

This is a picture book about Mimi, an artistic poor alley cat, who has had enough of the street and decides to seek out an artistic human. While doing so, Mimi deconstructs Dadaism and the Dadaists.

The art is one of the things that attracted me to this book. One the cover is a cute orange cat with a moustache bearing a smile close to Mona Lisa’s. The title read Mimi’s Dada Manifest, only with the ‘man’ crossed out of manifesto and replaced with ‘cat’ifesto. The background looks like torn newspaper pieces collaged together and all of the titles letters look like they have been cut from different publications. On the bottom of the cover, two cockroaches dressed to the nines present the author’s name. This is an eye-catching cover.

Introducing the Dadaists to grade school children can be inspiring and fun. In the author’s note, Shelley Jackson writes, “The Dadaists thought it was time to make art just as silly as the real world. They performed nonsense poems. They wore funny costumes. They put ordinary things like neckties and toilets in museums as if they were pieces of art.” These were the artists that colored outside of the lines and really can stimulate young minds to find ways for creative self-expression. I think that many children can resonate with Dadaist art and there are so many art projects that can be done with this book as inspiration (like collage). Along with the author’s note is a list of recommended books and websites and audio CDs that is also useful.

My thoughts

Dadaism was an art movement that is difficult to explain; yet this picture book does a pretty good job of explaining the Dada art movement.

Quotes

“The world was full of silly things in 1915, just like now (umbrellas! bow ties! false teeth!), but most art ignored the silliness. To the Dadaists, that was the silliest thing of all.”

Inside cover “I am not writing this book to get famous/ but to give you some tips on living./ Listen, kiddo: sometimes you stare at a black dot for an hour/ and nothing happens./ But sometimes it gets up and walks across the floor./ I like bugs./ What I’m trying to say is-> Pay attention/ and expect the best.”

Curricular connections

Grades 1-4: Art

Lesson Plan

See 'Lesson Plan' page

Literary devices

Use of Sophisticated language: nuisance, industrial-strength, primitive, Dadaist.

Repetition: “That cat… is a stupendous nuisance. A primitive force of destruction! A steam-powered, industrial-strength…” (Repeated twice).

Simile: “Make like a pet.”

Reading level/ Interest Age

Grade 1-4/ Age 6 and up

Author website: ineradicablestain.com/

Media: Mixed media

Genre: Juvenile picture book