Review by Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. This rhyming tale of a briny bevy of 15 felines washed ashore on a deserted island is nimbly told and depicted. Seven kittens and eight full-grown cats, each with a distinct personality (the bobtail wears a kerchief; the Angora a pink shawl, etc.), drink coconut milk, use broken shells for dishes, and watch for a ship to rescue them. With no boat in sight, they decide to build their own--but their efforts deteriorate into disputes. Bruised and sore, they take stock of their situation and decide to stay--because they have become a family. With a dash of Gilligan's Island and pinch of Survivor minus a million dollars, of course), this is a cat-egorically clever yarn, with humorous details in the acrylics-and-ink scenes and puns in the text adding even more fun. A feline frolic sure to amuse cat fanciers. --Julie Cummins Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The creative team behind Old Cricket (2003) and Sailor Moo (2002, both S & S) has come up with another winner. The action begins on the front cover as 15 soggy moggies are tossed from their sinking ship. By the time the story starts, they have reached the safety and uncertainty of a deserted island. The cats are of varying ages, breeds, and personalities and must overcome their differences as they attempt to build a boat and return to civilization. However, by story's end, the castaways are no longer strangers; through their adversity, they have become a family, and they choose to stay on the island. This delightful book is told in verses that become smoother as the cats cooperate and find their groove. The cast of characters includes a wisecracking marmalade tom, an angora diva, and a tough alley cat with a heart of gold. Goembel's illustrations, done in acrylic and ink, are fantastic and provide wonderful insight into the side stories developing as the book progresses. This animated, witty book is a wonderful selection to read aloud or for one-on-one appreciation of the marvelous art.-Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Eight cats and seven kittens wash up on an island ""near the land of Singapore"" amid debris from their capsized craft, exhausted and fearful since ""each had used up several lives."" Beginning with their impeccable swimming technique, the cats' human qualities are as evident as their unique characters: it's the ""tough tom known as Mittens"" who shepherds the kittens on a life preserver; the self-absorbed Angora is afraid her fur will shrink. Survival is easily secured with coconut milk for the kits and fish from the sea, but the cats' first boat-building attempt ends in cross purposes and flying fur: ""Then Bobtail bumped the Persian, / and the twins just up and quit. / Angora chipped a painted claw / and threw a hissy fit."" However, a second, more cooperative effort succeeds doubly: their boat complete, such amity reigns that the cats ""never want to leave!"" Wheeler's neatly honed verse is a pleasure to read aloud, while the cats' consistent individual behavior is fun to follow in Goembel's comical, crisply rendered art. Many spreads feature all fifteen: each adult true to form, the bright-eyed kittens to be discovered (and counted) romping, making mischief, or snuggled adorably with their protectors. Appropriate for groups, though a closer look and repeated readings will yield still more pleasing details. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
"On an island / in the ocean / near the land of Singapore, / midst a storm of great proportion, / fifteen cats were washed ashore." Marooned on an island with just a few coconut trees and a cave, the cats of different species try to get along. They find plenty of food, but their search for rescue ships is fruitless. When they decide to build a raft, everyone has a different idea of how to go about it. After a monumental fracas, they work together to build a beautiful raft--only to decide they don't want to leave. They feel like a family; all choose to call the island (with a suspiciously feline-looking rock formation) their home. The team behind Sailor Moo: Cow at Sea (2002) has returned to the briny with this rhymed lesson in cooperation. Sneaky addition exercises pepper the text: "Fifteen cats me-yowl with woe--/ Nine above and six below." Lapsit listeners can count the nine in the trees and the six on the beach. The story starts on the cover, and cat fans will beg to start again each time the book is closed. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
