“On November 5, 1421, St. Elizabeth Day, a violent storm blew in from the North Sea, breaking through the dikes and flooding a small village in South Holland. Katje the Windmill Cat is based on a true story of the Elizabeth’s Day Flood. A cat and a little baby did live through that terrible flood.” 

Inspired by this true story, Gretchen Woelfle created an absolutely charming story about Katje and the baby she saved that day. Inspired by the Old Dutch Masters, Nicola Bayley researched the art of that time and drew inspiration from the classic blue and white tiles. The resulting pictures are both classical and comfortable. Absolutely perfect for a picture book that will be read aloud to little ones snuggled in your lap. 

When the story opens, Katje lives a comfortable life with Nico, the miller, in a Dutch village by the sea. While Nico grinds the flour, Katje keeps the windmill free of mice. They have a happy life.

One day, Nico doesn’t go to the mill. Instead, he goes into town and comes home with a wife, Lena. Lena and Katje are not comfortable together, and things get worse when Anneke is born. Katje moves out of the house and into the mill permanently. But Katje loves Anneke and sneaks into the house at night to sit atop her cradle and rock her to sleep. 

One terrible day, a storm rages through the town and Nico has to stay at the mill constantly grinding flour so that as the windmill works in the wind, the grinding stone will not cast off sparks and set the mill on fire. When Lena brings him his breakfast, Katje sneaks out of the mill to visit Anneke at the house.

 Nico is not home when the dike fails and the sea comes rushing through the village sweeping whole houses out to sea. But Katje is. Despite the terrible storm, Katje stays with Anneke.

This gorgeous book would appeal to children and adults alike. I may be building a Windmills and Dikes Wonder Box, and if I do, this will certainly go into it.