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Fromage #1
Fromage
Fromage wishes to continue the family tradition of being a rat chaser on a ship but Mama Cat feels that rat catching is not a ladylike profession. When Fromage sneaks off to begin her adventures, she makes friends with an orphaned Scottish rat named Aloysius much to the dismay of her conventional Mama. Papa cat, however prepares his daughter and her new friend for a life of excitement by having a young lad named D'Artagnan teach them both how to swordfight. When they travel to meet the Queen of France, they meet up with a very lovely but naughty mermaid and a band of robbers. All of their quick thinking and sword fighting skills are needed to insure their survival.
- GenresChildrens
86 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2013
6 people are currently reading
1283 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen Donovan
3 books9 followersKathleen Donovan hails from a long line of Irish storytellers. Family tradition has always included made-up tales of wonder involving the family children, which inspired the stories of Fromage. Now that she is retired from teaching and real estate, she is very active in community theater and sword fights with a cutlass at Celtic festivals. Kathleen lives in Virginia with her menagerie of animals, including peacocks, swans, her horses, dogs, Himalayan cats, and an opinionated Eclectus parrot named Diva.
Fromage is her debut novel.
Fromage is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 24, 2016
Set in Normandy, France during the reign of King Henry 1V, Queen Marie de Medici and England’s Queen Elizabeth 1.
Fromage, a young cat wants to sail and have adventures just as her father had done. Her mother thought, that was no life for a girl. However, her father disagreed. Fromage’s grandmother had been an adventurer herself.
Mama cat, a well bred lady herself, is teaching Fromage to be a lady where as Papa is teaching her courage and self defence.
Follow Fromage as she and her friend Aloysius, the rat, embark on adventures that contain great dangers.
A story of adventure, courage, friendship and above all acceptance.
I think this was a great children’s read. I likened it to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and it could have been greatly enhanced with illustrations.
Loved the French phrases that were repeated throughout and were simple enough for children to remember.
Lots of lessons in there about not stereotyping males and females and also accepting those that are not like ourselves.
I also liked the addition of historical figures and can be further enhanced by getting the child to look these up on the internet.
The killing of the weasels might be a bit graphic for very young children but it’s easy to just leave those few lines out if need be.
Looking forward to more courageous adventures from Fromage and Aloysius.
Thank you to Goodreads for my copy of Fromage to read and review.
Fromage, a young cat wants to sail and have adventures just as her father had done. Her mother thought, that was no life for a girl. However, her father disagreed. Fromage’s grandmother had been an adventurer herself.
Mama cat, a well bred lady herself, is teaching Fromage to be a lady where as Papa is teaching her courage and self defence.
Follow Fromage as she and her friend Aloysius, the rat, embark on adventures that contain great dangers.
A story of adventure, courage, friendship and above all acceptance.
I think this was a great children’s read. I likened it to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and it could have been greatly enhanced with illustrations.
Loved the French phrases that were repeated throughout and were simple enough for children to remember.
Lots of lessons in there about not stereotyping males and females and also accepting those that are not like ourselves.
I also liked the addition of historical figures and can be further enhanced by getting the child to look these up on the internet.
The killing of the weasels might be a bit graphic for very young children but it’s easy to just leave those few lines out if need be.
Looking forward to more courageous adventures from Fromage and Aloysius.
Thank you to Goodreads for my copy of Fromage to read and review.
September 2, 2025
A wonderful read :)
January 6, 2026
Small Paws, Big Adventures
FROMAGE (THE ADVENTURES OF FROMAGE) is a charming children’s book that leans fully into whimsy, adventure, and gentle lessons about courage and identity. The story follows Fromage, a young cat who dreams of a life at sea despite her mother’s expectations of proper behavior. Her unlikely friendship with Aloysius, a Scottish rat, adds warmth and humor, while the encouragement from Papa Cat gives the tale a balanced, thoughtful heart. Set against a lightly historical backdrop, the book blends real figures with fantasy in a way that feels playful rather than heavy.
Donovan’s writing has a lyrical quality, sprinkled with French phrases and just enough historical flavor to spark curiosity without slowing the pace. The adventures are imaginative and sometimes perilous, but they remain accessible for younger readers while still offering sly touches adults can appreciate. Themes of acceptance, gender roles, and bravery are naturally woven in through the characters’ choices, rather than spelled out. FROMAGE is a sweet, imaginative read that works well for children who enjoy talking animals, light action, and stories about finding the courage to follow one’s own path.
FROMAGE (THE ADVENTURES OF FROMAGE) is a charming children’s book that leans fully into whimsy, adventure, and gentle lessons about courage and identity. The story follows Fromage, a young cat who dreams of a life at sea despite her mother’s expectations of proper behavior. Her unlikely friendship with Aloysius, a Scottish rat, adds warmth and humor, while the encouragement from Papa Cat gives the tale a balanced, thoughtful heart. Set against a lightly historical backdrop, the book blends real figures with fantasy in a way that feels playful rather than heavy.
Donovan’s writing has a lyrical quality, sprinkled with French phrases and just enough historical flavor to spark curiosity without slowing the pace. The adventures are imaginative and sometimes perilous, but they remain accessible for younger readers while still offering sly touches adults can appreciate. Themes of acceptance, gender roles, and bravery are naturally woven in through the characters’ choices, rather than spelled out. FROMAGE is a sweet, imaginative read that works well for children who enjoy talking animals, light action, and stories about finding the courage to follow one’s own path.
January 9, 2026
An Entertaining Children's Story
FROMAGE (The Adventures of Fromage Book 1) by Kathleen Donovan is an engaging children's story that captures the reader's attention and sparks their imagination. The story is lively, enjoyable, and encourages children to develop a love for reading. The author excels at world-building and plot development. The scenes are well thought out and vividly described, making reading the book feel like watching a film.
Kathleen's creativity and storytelling skills are impressive. The story is immersive, fast-paced, and flows smoothly, so the reader stays interested throughout. The friendship between Fromage and Aloysius and their interactions with each other's families are inspiring and promote sharing, caring, and being accommodating—valuable lessons for young readers.
Additionally, the story is suspenseful and keeps readers curious about what will happen next. The book is well-written, professionally edited, and contains no grammatical errors. It has no profanity or explicit language, making it suitable for young children. The cover images are well-chosen and perfectly represent the book's content.
FROMAGE (The Adventures of Fromage Book 1) by Kathleen Donovan is an engaging children's story that captures the reader's attention and sparks their imagination. The story is lively, enjoyable, and encourages children to develop a love for reading. The author excels at world-building and plot development. The scenes are well thought out and vividly described, making reading the book feel like watching a film.
Kathleen's creativity and storytelling skills are impressive. The story is immersive, fast-paced, and flows smoothly, so the reader stays interested throughout. The friendship between Fromage and Aloysius and their interactions with each other's families are inspiring and promote sharing, caring, and being accommodating—valuable lessons for young readers.
Additionally, the story is suspenseful and keeps readers curious about what will happen next. The book is well-written, professionally edited, and contains no grammatical errors. It has no profanity or explicit language, making it suitable for young children. The cover images are well-chosen and perfectly represent the book's content.
January 6, 2026
What a cute read! It's perfect for kids as it imparts a little history and look at historical people but keeps it fun and light hearted by having the story take place through the perspective of animals. The use of french language and Scottish accent were fun ways to make the story feel more accurate to time and place. The differences between Fromage's parents were funny, with mom wanting to raise a traditional lady cat and dad being more open minding and wanting Fromage to pursue anything and everything. It was such an accurate depiction of parenting. Fromage and her new rat friend seems like a great pairing to go on many adventures with. The characters and action was very humanized without seeming weird or far fetched and just made for a good story. Looking forward to seeing more of Fromage and her travels, Highly recommend this for kids around eight and up.
December 29, 2025
This is a cute story about an adventurous French kitten, Fromage and her savior, the rat Alyosius.
I loved that Papa said he didn’t eat rats and that in turn helped the other cats be open-minded in accepting rats into their home.
Also, go Papa for letting Fromage and Aloysius learn fencing and for giving Fromage money for their journey. He’s a good progressive Papa.
I was surprised by the killing of bandits and weasels, but I don’t feel like it’s too much for older kids.
I liked the French phrases throughout and the little bit of Scottish from Aloysius.
I liked the historical figure plug-ins. Edgar the raven, who is a poet? That made me smile.
I loved that Papa said he didn’t eat rats and that in turn helped the other cats be open-minded in accepting rats into their home.
Also, go Papa for letting Fromage and Aloysius learn fencing and for giving Fromage money for their journey. He’s a good progressive Papa.
I was surprised by the killing of bandits and weasels, but I don’t feel like it’s too much for older kids.
I liked the French phrases throughout and the little bit of Scottish from Aloysius.
I liked the historical figure plug-ins. Edgar the raven, who is a poet? That made me smile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2025
💕💕💕💕💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2016
***I got this book through a Goodreads giveaway***
The story is cute. Having a cat and a mouse go on adventures sounds like a good idea. I think I would have fun reading it out loud to my younger cousins, but reading it for myself wasn't as enjoyable. There were an overabundance of commas, sometimes in places where they were not needed (this really bothered me). The semi-colons were also awkward and at some point, Count Jeffrey became Count Jeffery.
When I first started the story, I couldn't understand how the cats were supposed to be. Were they supposed to be on all four paws like real cats or could they walk on two hind paws? The mom was able to carry food out and knit, apparently. I didn't really understand, so I just didn't think about it too much.
The cover art is cute, but the the image is too stretched and it makes the design a little less appealing.
Also, I love the use of French phrases here and there (but some others might find it a bit distracting) and the variety of verbs used (odd thing to like, but it really stands out; not every phrase ends with 'said').
The story is cute. Having a cat and a mouse go on adventures sounds like a good idea. I think I would have fun reading it out loud to my younger cousins, but reading it for myself wasn't as enjoyable. There were an overabundance of commas, sometimes in places where they were not needed (this really bothered me). The semi-colons were also awkward and at some point, Count Jeffrey became Count Jeffery.
When I first started the story, I couldn't understand how the cats were supposed to be. Were they supposed to be on all four paws like real cats or could they walk on two hind paws? The mom was able to carry food out and knit, apparently. I didn't really understand, so I just didn't think about it too much.
The cover art is cute, but the the image is too stretched and it makes the design a little less appealing.
Also, I love the use of French phrases here and there (but some others might find it a bit distracting) and the variety of verbs used (odd thing to like, but it really stands out; not every phrase ends with 'said').
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews