Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat
Independent Feline Seeks Place in World
| Sagwa and Sheegwa (Sagwa) |
The young Chinese cat Sagwa began her life as a pearl-white kitten, but she developed permanent Siamese markings after tumbling into a pot of ink. Couple this misadventure with the fact that her name translates to “silly melon,” and what we’ve got on our hands is a brave and curious cat who is very good at getting herself into mischief.
The animated television series Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat follows the young cat’s escapades as she explores her home turf of 19th century Imperial China and works out where she belongs in the world. Through her adventures, Sagwa discovers the pros and cons of risk-taking and curiosity -- and when her latest scrape is resolved, she returns home to the security provided by her parents, Mama and Baba Miao.
The series is based on Amy Tan’s popular children’s book The Chinese Siamese Cat, illustrated by Gretchen Schields. According to Tan, a dream about her cat sparked the idea for the book.
“A cat I actually owned -- who lived to be 21-- Sagwa, inspired the story,” Tan says. Sagwa was a Chinese Siamese cat, she was white and started turning darker as she got older and ended up looking like she does in the picture book.”
Sagwa has three educational goals. First, it seeks to support the socio-emotional development of five to eight-year-old children as they grow into a variety of new roles and interactions within their families and society. To that end, it offers strategies for navigating difficult situations, such as telling the truth even when it’s hard and standing up for what you believe. Second, it aims to foster an appreciation of other cultures by exposing a broad audience of children to elements of traditional Chinese culture, including the arts, holidays, and family traditions. And third, it seeks to show young viewers that children’s lives share many similarities across cultures; a child in Beijing might be experiencing the same joys and fears as a child in Chicago.
Each episode includes two animated stories about the cat’s adventures, and a live action segment showing from around the world introducing their favorite foods, music, festivals, and hobbies.
The show’s popularity prompted series executive producer George Daugherty to write additional Sagwa books based on the program. Original Sagwa illustrator Gretchen Schields illustrated the books, which include Princess Sheegwa and Acrobat Cats.
Montreal-based animation group CinéGroupe produced the television series in association with Sesame Workshop. The show aired from September 2001 until October 2002, and many PBS affiliate stations still show reruns. In 2002, Sagwa won a Daytime Emmy, and received a second nomination.
Trivia
Sagwa is a talented calligrapher; she uses her tail to hold the calligraphy brush.
Sagwa and her family belong to a Chinese official called The Foolish Magistrate.
The Foolish Magistrate’s wife, Tai-Tai, has three small dogs who live in the sleeves of her robe. Their names are Ping, Pong, and Pang.
Number of Seasons
One
Number of Episodes
40
Episode Runtime
30 minutes
Format
Animation and documentary
Producers
CinéGroupe
Sesame Workshop
Broadcasters
PBS
Target Audience Age
5-8
Website
