Carousel Cat

by Robert J. Blake

She doesn't look special-just an ordinary stray cat hanging around a dilapidated old boardwalk. Of course, Dan, the caretaker of the Pavilion o' Fun, likes her. He feeds her scraps and even takes her for a ride on the carousel when no one is around. But one day, the Pavilion catches fire! Then everyone gathers to watch that little cat emerge from her hiding place under the carousel, heroically carrying her tiny kittens to safety. And when the danger is over, Dan takes everyone-cat, kittens, and all-for a carousel ride. Robert J. Blake brings his readers another story with a lovable animal hero, this time in the evocative setting of an old boardwalk in all its fading glory.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2005

Reviews

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the children's librarians passed this to me (everyone here knows I'm a cat person), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a charming story about a stray cat who befriends the owner of a struggling carnival. When the a fire threatens, the cat becomes a hero. Watercolor illustrations are beautiful, and the story is wonderful. Kids will love the whimsical situations, such as descriptions of the car riding the carousel while adults will pick up on some of the more subtle and mature aspects. Friendship, family, and optimism despite hardship are themes. Recommended for children (including grown-up children) of any age.

[Kienie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that the illustrations give a sense of movement. And kittens are cute and all, but are you telling me they're riding the carousel as the house nearby is on fire? And that the fire fighters let them in? Don't buy it.

[Cara · Rating 1 out of 5]

The overall feel of the story is discouraging and the characters’ problems aren’t resolved.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art work was beautiful, but it was a departure from his dog stories and I liked that art work a lot better. This story didn't make any sense, for a lot of reasons, and I didn't like any of the characters, other than the cat. It was very depressing in places too and I didn't like that there wasn't any closure at the end of the story. Togo, Akiak, Swift and Riptide (written by another author) were MUCH better. It's a nice little book to read to a child, but be prepared for them to ask you a lot of questions about it.

[The Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

All things must come to an end, even the Pavilion O' Fun on the boardwalk. This is a tale (for you punsters - a tail) about a man and a cat who can't seem to let go of an old carousel. But with endings, there are new beginnings too!

Really nice illustrations.

[The Children · Rating 1 out of 5]

Aviana says, "the pictures are beautiful, but the words aren't very good"

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pavilion o' fun is about to close down, until Dan finds out that the Carousel Cat had kittens while Tony's is on fire.