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HALL OF FAME # 7-- THE GOOD LUCK CAT, by Joy Harjo, Review by Alexis, 19


I have a cat, a stripedy cat with tickling whiskers and green electric eyes. She has the softest fur in the world. When I pet her she purrs as if she has a drum near her heart.
Recently, my mom bought me a big stack of library books while I was in a treatment center. Current U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's only picture book, THE GOOD LUCK CAT, was among them. It is a first edition from 2000, the year I was born. Mom said, "I don't know why I never knew about this book before. I wish we had it when you were young." There is only one copy in our Library system--I am glad they don't just weed OOP books. But this book should be available to everyone. So I'm joining Dr. Debbie Reese in calling for #BringBackTheGoodLuckCatByJoyHarjo


Now about the book and the cat. The cat's name is Woogie (a good name) and she gets in all kinds of scraps. She accidentally gets tumbled in the clothes dryer, a big, mean dog chases her and she has to have stitches. Boys shoot her with a BB gun. Her girl takes her to a pow wow and accidentally leaves her in a box in the car. This is a cautionary lesson for kids on pet care!

But Woogie, with her more than nine lives, still brings good luck. You pet her and good things happen.
Aunt Shelly pet her on the way to bingo and came back with money to buy us all new shoes. I pet her when I lost my favorite beaded earrings I planned to wear to the spring powwow, then found them under my bed.

Harjo's writing is beautiful poetry, but also a clear story for young ones. Paul Lee's illustrations show the life of a modern Native (Harjo is Muskogee-Creek) girl's life. Take this illustration of the girl lying with Moogie, surrounded by bingo cards and dancing shoes and a woven rug. It's how we really live in our homes, with our families and furry friends. (In this way, it reminds me of Cynthia Leitich Smith's great JINGLE DANCER.)


We know the beauty of our communities and the dangers that Moogie survives. Somehow, we have to get by all those obstacles too and take care of each other. Like Moogie, we end up damaged but hopeful-- "Her left ear was bitten in half, but she was purring and singing as if she never left."


I picked this as a Hall of Fame book because I could read and share this story many times and never get tired of it and keep finding new things. And because Harjo sees Native girls and loves us, as very few others do, and I think she made this book so we can see and love our lives too.

#BringBackTheGoodLuckCatByJoyHarjo!!!!


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  1. Brown AmyFebruary 26, 2023 at 1:24 AM

    According to PetCareRx, Cats can be the perfect pet due to their friendly nature, fun attitudes, and cute faces. Contrary to popular belief, cats require maintenance. You must understand how to care for and provide your new furry buddy the best possible life if you want to keep your cat healthy and content.

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