Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin tells the engaging story of an artistic boy and his special cat.
With his beloved black cat Grimalkin as his constant companion, the young Quaker boy Benjamin West discovers and develops his talent as an artist. The story focuses on Benjamin’s childhood and early years as a painter.
The Lord gave Benjamin West an extraordinary gift—the gift of creating paintings of people, animals, and landscapes so true to life they “took one’s breath away.” But Benjamin’s deeply religious family holds Quaker beliefs that forbid the creation of images.
Because Benjamin’s family didn’t approve of his art, he had to make his own painting supplies. The local Native Americans taught him how to mix paints from earth, clay, and plants. And his cat, Grimalkin, sacrificed hair from his tail for Ben’s brushes.
- Award-winning author Marguerite Henry narratively shares this heartwarming and inspirational story.
