After retiring, Lu You read books, worked the fields, and enjoyed life.
In spring, he would go on outings in the countryside, exclaiming, 'The scent of flowers tells me the day is warm.'
In winter, he would curl up at home with his cat, posting a line: 'My cat and I shall not venture out today.'

★ Told from the perspective of a tiny kitten kept by the famous ancient Chinese poet Lu You, this book introduces the life and literary achievements of the "cat-loving" poet, allowing young readers to get up close and personal with one of China's greatest literary figures.
★ Written by Dr. Wang Ziwei of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University.Illustrations by renowned illustrator Zhang Yunkai,who won the Gold Award of the "Bronze Sunflower Picture Book Award."
★ The entire book is narrated in the lively, endearing voice of a cat, vividly and down-to-earth recounting the warm daily companionship between Lu You and his feline friend.

1
I am a cat—a little tabby born in the Song Dynasty. My owner, who adopted me, liked the patterns on my fur so much that he gave me a bold and mighty name: "Xiao Wutu," which in plain language means "Little Tiger."
As for my owner, his name is even more famous and impressive than mine. He is none other than the household-name great poet—Lu You.

2
When I met Mr. Lu You, he was already a white-haired old gentleman, having been dismissed from court and returned to live a quiet life in the countryside, shutting himself away with his books.
His home library was said to hold over ten thousand volumes—a dazzling, vast sea of books. With so many books in the house, mice were inevitably attracted. Watching his precious collection being nibbled away bit by bit, Mr. Lu You was heartbroken.
So one day, to deal with those pesky mice, he brought me home from a friend who kept cats.

3
Ever since I arrived, those mice never dared to gnaw at the family's book collection again. Mr. Lu You was very pleased with my performance and wanted to reward me properly. But having been dismissed from office, he lived in poverty and had nothing decent to offer. So he stroked my fluffy head and said with a guilty expression, "Oh, my Little Tiger, look—you have done such a great service for our household, yet this poor old man has not taken good care of you. When it's cold, I cannot lay out a warm felt mat for you, and often there is no fish in your food. I am truly sorry. How about this—let me write you a poem? The title shall be 'To the Cat'..."
Looking into my master's sincere eyes, I jumped onto his lap and meowed twice obediently, as my reply. As a diligent and loyal little cat, I did not mind whether every meal included fish. As long as I had my master's trust and appreciation, that was enough.

Wang Ziwei
She studied at Nanjing University and Peking University, earning a Ph.D. in Ancient Chinese Literature with a focus on pre-Tang literature. After graduation, she worked in news publishing and museum-cultural arts, and is now an independent scholar.
Her publications include Walking with the Ancients, Three Hundred Ancient Huai-Gu Poems, China in Chinese Characters, Connecting Heaven and Earth: A Precise Interpretation of Records of the Grand Historian, and From the Spring and Autumn Annals to Records of the Grand Historian.

Zhang Yunkai
He graduated from the Department of Arts and Crafts at the Central Academy of Arts and Design (now the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University). After graduation, he worked in graphic design and participated in the landscape design for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He has won the Gold Award of the "Bronze Sunflower Picture Book Award," among other honors.
His picture book works include The Wings of Leizhenzi, Jiang Taigong Fishing, and The Three Nezha Brothers. He has also provided illustrations for the popular science picture book series The Invisible Micro World, Dunhuang 1650, the poetry collection The Sky, and the novels Looking for a Bird and The City Without Streets.