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Carbonel #1
Carbonel: The King of the Cats
Back in print in the U.S. for the first time in over 30 years.
Rosemary's plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can't even afford to keep. But appearances can be deceiving. Some old ladies are witches, some brooms can fly, and some ordinary-looking cats are Princes of the Royal Blood. Rosemary's cat ("You may call me Carbonel. That is my name.") soon enlists her help in an adventure to free him from a hideous spell and return him to his rightful throne. But along the way Rosemary and her friend John must do some clever sleuthing, work a little magic of their own, and—not least— put up with the demands of a very haughty cat.
Rosemary's plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can't even afford to keep. But appearances can be deceiving. Some old ladies are witches, some brooms can fly, and some ordinary-looking cats are Princes of the Royal Blood. Rosemary's cat ("You may call me Carbonel. That is my name.") soon enlists her help in an adventure to free him from a hideous spell and return him to his rightful throne. But along the way Rosemary and her friend John must do some clever sleuthing, work a little magic of their own, and—not least— put up with the demands of a very haughty cat.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1955
51 people are currently reading
1719 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Sleigh
27 books25 followersBarbara Grace de Riemer Sleigh (1906-1982) was an English children's writer and broadcaster. She worked for the BBC Children's Hour and is the author of Carbonel and two sequels: The Kingdom of Carbonel and Carbonel and Calidor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
November 9, 2023
Have you ever loved a book and its characters, been happy when their fortunes are good, and worried on their behalf when things are not going so well, been engrossed in their adventures, and delighted by the lively wit of the author — only to have everything destroyed by a careless, jarring ending? This is such a book.
Carbonel: the King of the Cats is a children’s fantasy book by Barbara Sleigh, which was first published in 1955. It is perhaps most suitable for those between 7 and 11 years of age, but its humour means that it can be enjoyed at any age. It is particularly good read aloud, for the younger end of the spectrum. My most recent “reading” of this was a delight, with the talented reader imbuing the character of Carbonel with a regal presence, his voice when speaking this part reminiscent of Noel Coward.
The story is based on an old folk tale from the British Isles “The King of the Cats”, which was first found in the work “Beware the Cat” by a William Baldwin in 1533, although it is probably far older than this. Barbara Sleigh has borrowed the idea for her series of novels, but their tone is light-hearted rather than frightening.
The choice of “Carbonel” as a name is significant. It was first used in France, in the area called Gascogne, and was a name for a person with dark hair or a dark complexion. During the Norman Conquest of England, “Carbonel” continued to be used as a name in the same context, deriving its origin from the Latin word “carbo”, which means charcoal.
The black cat “Carbonel” in this novel is, as the title says, a royal cat, but the story first focuses on our young protagonist, the ten year old Rosemary Brown. Rosemary lives with her mother in a rather shabby flat, in Tottenham Grove, London.
“Rosemary and her mother lived at Number Ten, in three furnished rooms on the top floor, with use of bath on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a share of the kitchen. It was not a very pleasant arrangement, because the furniture was ugly (most of it was covered with horsehair that prickled, even through a winter dress), and the bathroom was always festooned with other people’s washing. But it was cheap and would have to do until they could find some unfurnished rooms. Then they would be able to use their own comfortable, shabby belongings again.”
We do wonder where Rosemary’s father is; this is 1955, so one-parent families were not common. It could be that Mr. Brown has been killed in the Second World War, although this is never mentioned. We do pick up straight away that both Rosemary and her mother are not really used to being quite so hard up, but determined to make the best of things. Mrs. Brown has to take in mending and other sewing work to earn money, and even so, she has to work much harder than Rosemary likes.
Rosemary has just broken up for the summer holidays, and as every English child knows, those particular six weeks off school in the summer feel as if they will never end. Both Rosemary and her mum look forward to that special time. However, Mrs. Brown has been offered three weeks’ work mending sheets “sides to middling” and curtains, for one of her wealthy clients, Mrs. Pendlebury Parker.
(Incidentally, “sides to middling” for those who are baffled by the term, is a way of prolonging the life of sheets of very fine quality such as linen. There are cut lengthways down the middle and sewn together with the comparatively unworn edges now forming the middle. Some amateur seamstresses, such as my own mother, would also do this with ordinary sheets, as a cost-cutting measure. She would then cut the sheet down, to make a “new” smaller one.)
It seems very bad timing, but any needlework is welcome, and Mrs. Brown cannot afford to turn it down. This means that she will not be at home for the first half of Rosemary’s school holiday. Rosemary is determined to make the best of this though, for her mother’s sake:
“‘And perhaps,’ said Rosemary, brightening, ‘you’ll be rich enough afterwards to buy one of those things to make your sewing machine run by electricity.’”
This shows that they really must be quite poor, to not own an up-to-date sewing machine, which was a basic item in the mid-1950s — especially bearing in mind that this is the way Mrs. Brown makes her living.
Rosemary really wants to help her mum, and stop her looking so tired all the time. At least she could sweep, and polish, and wash up. And if she had a broom, she would look quite professional, and may be able to earn some money to contribute to the household by going to clean other people’s houses, too. But she doesn’t have a broom, and doesn’t have much money either, so she walks to Fairfax Market to buy one, rather than going by bus. It’s quite a long walk though, and by the time she gets there the Market is just closing.
Rosemary can’t see a broom anywhere, and none of the stall-holders she asks has one. It looks as if Rosemary is out of luck, but then she spies a black cat, who is behaving in a very peculiar way. It seems almost as if the cat wants Rosemary to follow it. She follows the cat to a disreputable-looking old woman who oddly seems to know exactly what Rosemary wants, before she has said anything.
As Rosemary and the eccentric old woman talk, it becomes clear that she owns the cat, but would be willing to sell him, for exactly the amount of money Rosemary has left over after she has bought the besom (an old-fashioned broom made of twigs). The old woman is obviously quite canny, selling Rosemary what is an old, tatty, unsuitable broom and the cat too, for three farthings extra, with the mysterious words:
“Three Queens for a Prince!”
Even more oddly she says to the cat:
“Don’t say I never did you a good turn my boy. Though mind you, it’s only half undone.”
The fact that farthings are still in use makes this novel feel very specific to 1955, as these little coins ceased to be minted the next year, although they remained legal tender until the end of 1960. The early ones from the time of Queen Victoria had been cast in copper, but the more recent ones were made of bronze. They were worth a quarter of a penny ie., 1d. (2.4 old pence is equivalent to one new penny ie., 1p.) and having a robin on the reverse of the coin, were held in great affection by the British public. In this story, we become aware that three old copper coins are significant, in fulfilling an ancient prophecy, to do with the old woman’s cat. For of course the old woman, Mrs. Cantrip, is a witch who has decided to retire, and that is why she is willing to part with her magic cat.
“You may call me Carbonel. That is my name.”
The writing is a joy, with the majestic Carbonel’s wit and pomposity much in evidence. Here he explains “The Summoning Words”, which would force him to run back to her side at any time, whether he liked it or not:
“‘By squeak of bat
And brown owl’s hoot,
By hellebore
And mandrake root,
Come swift and silent
As the tomb,
Dark minion
Of the twiggy broom.’
‘The merest doggerel I know, but it works. It wouldn’t be so humiliating if it were better poetry’, he said bitterly. ‘Whenever you say it I’m bound to come, no matter how important the business I’m engaged upon.’”
Carbonel: the King of the Cats fits nicely into the tradition of magical adventures for contemporary children of the time, which were popular during the 1950s, and a little later. Many of the late Victorian and early Edwardian children’s fantasies by E. Nesbit, such as “Five Children and It” came back into print, and new author such as Mary Norton began her series of the “Borrowers” books, Edward Eager began his series novels starting with “Half Magic” and most famous of all, C.S. Lewis wrote the “Chronicles of Narnia”.
The novel Carbonel: the King of the Cats is comparable with these classics. The balance works well; the fantasy parts about wishing magic, summoning spells, and rainbow magic blending smoothly into everyday life. There are evocative descriptions, such as:
“a superb moon, round as a pumpkin and golden as honey, filling the rooftop world with light, and deep, mysterious shadow.”
The characterisation is consistently good, and there is an exciting plot with plenty of tension. Humour abounds; Rosemary has to express all the magic spells in quickly invented rhyme. And yet I was bothered by the ending, which stayed with me for several days. It felt heartless, and frankly unbelievable that the other main characters would be so uncaring.
This was Barbara Sleigh’s first children’s book. She had trained as an art teacher, although the first edition of Carbonel: the King of the Cats was illustrated not by her, but by V. H. Drummond. Later, Barbara Sleigh lectured at what was then Goldsmith’s Teacher Training College, and began to write stories for children for radio. Working for the BBC’s “Children’s Hour” programmes, she met and married David Davis, who later became Head of “Children’s Hour”.
But the ending of this book seems to be a bad error of judgement. Perhaps it is one which could be rectified in the two sequels, “The Kingdom of Carbonel” and “Carbonel and Calidor”, but somehow I doubt it. This might otherwise have been a five star book; a children’s book of real literary merit. As it is though, it remains a four star read for me, and the trilogy has remained a firm favourite with younger readers. It is well above average, but a little tarnished by the ending of this first book.
Here are some critical reviews:
“The Carbonel books are excellent, imbued with wonder, dry humour, and practicality in equal measure, as well as a clear-eyed and sometimes sardonic love of cats.” — School Librarian
“A delightful story for those who like impossible things to happen in a humdrum world…The children are lively, the grown-ups (including the witch) colourful and the mingling of magic and reality is most effective.” — The New York Times
“A truly bewitching story reminiscent of ‘Alice in Wonderland’” — New York Journal American
Carbonel: the King of the Cats is a children’s fantasy book by Barbara Sleigh, which was first published in 1955. It is perhaps most suitable for those between 7 and 11 years of age, but its humour means that it can be enjoyed at any age. It is particularly good read aloud, for the younger end of the spectrum. My most recent “reading” of this was a delight, with the talented reader imbuing the character of Carbonel with a regal presence, his voice when speaking this part reminiscent of Noel Coward.
The story is based on an old folk tale from the British Isles “The King of the Cats”, which was first found in the work “Beware the Cat” by a William Baldwin in 1533, although it is probably far older than this. Barbara Sleigh has borrowed the idea for her series of novels, but their tone is light-hearted rather than frightening.
The choice of “Carbonel” as a name is significant. It was first used in France, in the area called Gascogne, and was a name for a person with dark hair or a dark complexion. During the Norman Conquest of England, “Carbonel” continued to be used as a name in the same context, deriving its origin from the Latin word “carbo”, which means charcoal.
The black cat “Carbonel” in this novel is, as the title says, a royal cat, but the story first focuses on our young protagonist, the ten year old Rosemary Brown. Rosemary lives with her mother in a rather shabby flat, in Tottenham Grove, London.
“Rosemary and her mother lived at Number Ten, in three furnished rooms on the top floor, with use of bath on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a share of the kitchen. It was not a very pleasant arrangement, because the furniture was ugly (most of it was covered with horsehair that prickled, even through a winter dress), and the bathroom was always festooned with other people’s washing. But it was cheap and would have to do until they could find some unfurnished rooms. Then they would be able to use their own comfortable, shabby belongings again.”
We do wonder where Rosemary’s father is; this is 1955, so one-parent families were not common. It could be that Mr. Brown has been killed in the Second World War, although this is never mentioned. We do pick up straight away that both Rosemary and her mother are not really used to being quite so hard up, but determined to make the best of things. Mrs. Brown has to take in mending and other sewing work to earn money, and even so, she has to work much harder than Rosemary likes.
Rosemary has just broken up for the summer holidays, and as every English child knows, those particular six weeks off school in the summer feel as if they will never end. Both Rosemary and her mum look forward to that special time. However, Mrs. Brown has been offered three weeks’ work mending sheets “sides to middling” and curtains, for one of her wealthy clients, Mrs. Pendlebury Parker.
(Incidentally, “sides to middling” for those who are baffled by the term, is a way of prolonging the life of sheets of very fine quality such as linen. There are cut lengthways down the middle and sewn together with the comparatively unworn edges now forming the middle. Some amateur seamstresses, such as my own mother, would also do this with ordinary sheets, as a cost-cutting measure. She would then cut the sheet down, to make a “new” smaller one.)
It seems very bad timing, but any needlework is welcome, and Mrs. Brown cannot afford to turn it down. This means that she will not be at home for the first half of Rosemary’s school holiday. Rosemary is determined to make the best of this though, for her mother’s sake:
“‘And perhaps,’ said Rosemary, brightening, ‘you’ll be rich enough afterwards to buy one of those things to make your sewing machine run by electricity.’”
This shows that they really must be quite poor, to not own an up-to-date sewing machine, which was a basic item in the mid-1950s — especially bearing in mind that this is the way Mrs. Brown makes her living.
Rosemary really wants to help her mum, and stop her looking so tired all the time. At least she could sweep, and polish, and wash up. And if she had a broom, she would look quite professional, and may be able to earn some money to contribute to the household by going to clean other people’s houses, too. But she doesn’t have a broom, and doesn’t have much money either, so she walks to Fairfax Market to buy one, rather than going by bus. It’s quite a long walk though, and by the time she gets there the Market is just closing.
Rosemary can’t see a broom anywhere, and none of the stall-holders she asks has one. It looks as if Rosemary is out of luck, but then she spies a black cat, who is behaving in a very peculiar way. It seems almost as if the cat wants Rosemary to follow it. She follows the cat to a disreputable-looking old woman who oddly seems to know exactly what Rosemary wants, before she has said anything.
As Rosemary and the eccentric old woman talk, it becomes clear that she owns the cat, but would be willing to sell him, for exactly the amount of money Rosemary has left over after she has bought the besom (an old-fashioned broom made of twigs). The old woman is obviously quite canny, selling Rosemary what is an old, tatty, unsuitable broom and the cat too, for three farthings extra, with the mysterious words:
“Three Queens for a Prince!”
Even more oddly she says to the cat:
“Don’t say I never did you a good turn my boy. Though mind you, it’s only half undone.”
The fact that farthings are still in use makes this novel feel very specific to 1955, as these little coins ceased to be minted the next year, although they remained legal tender until the end of 1960. The early ones from the time of Queen Victoria had been cast in copper, but the more recent ones were made of bronze. They were worth a quarter of a penny ie., 1d. (2.4 old pence is equivalent to one new penny ie., 1p.) and having a robin on the reverse of the coin, were held in great affection by the British public. In this story, we become aware that three old copper coins are significant, in fulfilling an ancient prophecy, to do with the old woman’s cat. For of course the old woman, Mrs. Cantrip, is a witch who has decided to retire, and that is why she is willing to part with her magic cat.
“You may call me Carbonel. That is my name.”
The writing is a joy, with the majestic Carbonel’s wit and pomposity much in evidence. Here he explains “The Summoning Words”, which would force him to run back to her side at any time, whether he liked it or not:
“‘By squeak of bat
And brown owl’s hoot,
By hellebore
And mandrake root,
Come swift and silent
As the tomb,
Dark minion
Of the twiggy broom.’
‘The merest doggerel I know, but it works. It wouldn’t be so humiliating if it were better poetry’, he said bitterly. ‘Whenever you say it I’m bound to come, no matter how important the business I’m engaged upon.’”
Carbonel: the King of the Cats fits nicely into the tradition of magical adventures for contemporary children of the time, which were popular during the 1950s, and a little later. Many of the late Victorian and early Edwardian children’s fantasies by E. Nesbit, such as “Five Children and It” came back into print, and new author such as Mary Norton began her series of the “Borrowers” books, Edward Eager began his series novels starting with “Half Magic” and most famous of all, C.S. Lewis wrote the “Chronicles of Narnia”.
The novel Carbonel: the King of the Cats is comparable with these classics. The balance works well; the fantasy parts about wishing magic, summoning spells, and rainbow magic blending smoothly into everyday life. There are evocative descriptions, such as:
“a superb moon, round as a pumpkin and golden as honey, filling the rooftop world with light, and deep, mysterious shadow.”
The characterisation is consistently good, and there is an exciting plot with plenty of tension. Humour abounds; Rosemary has to express all the magic spells in quickly invented rhyme. And yet I was bothered by the ending, which stayed with me for several days. It felt heartless, and frankly unbelievable that the other main characters would be so uncaring.
This was Barbara Sleigh’s first children’s book. She had trained as an art teacher, although the first edition of Carbonel: the King of the Cats was illustrated not by her, but by V. H. Drummond. Later, Barbara Sleigh lectured at what was then Goldsmith’s Teacher Training College, and began to write stories for children for radio. Working for the BBC’s “Children’s Hour” programmes, she met and married David Davis, who later became Head of “Children’s Hour”.
But the ending of this book seems to be a bad error of judgement. Perhaps it is one which could be rectified in the two sequels, “The Kingdom of Carbonel” and “Carbonel and Calidor”, but somehow I doubt it. This might otherwise have been a five star book; a children’s book of real literary merit. As it is though, it remains a four star read for me, and the trilogy has remained a firm favourite with younger readers. It is well above average, but a little tarnished by the ending of this first book.
Here are some critical reviews:
“The Carbonel books are excellent, imbued with wonder, dry humour, and practicality in equal measure, as well as a clear-eyed and sometimes sardonic love of cats.” — School Librarian
“A delightful story for those who like impossible things to happen in a humdrum world…The children are lively, the grown-ups (including the witch) colourful and the mingling of magic and reality is most effective.” — The New York Times
“A truly bewitching story reminiscent of ‘Alice in Wonderland’” — New York Journal American
September 16, 2018
4.5 stars. We loved this story of Rosemary, who hopes to buy a broom to help her mother earn money by cleaning over the summer holidays, and accidentally comes away with a witches broom and Carbonel, the King of the Cats. There was some wonderful humour from Carbonel, who's voice we could hear when the broom was held. This was fun for a read aloud, and we enjoyed the relationship between John and Rosemary, who despite being from different backgrounds were really good friends. The end battle/culmination was less interesting to us than the everyday happenings. There is a sad part near the end were the broom unknowingly
December 9, 2014
'Well, don't let them see you. Really, Rosemary, you have no ingenuity.'
A number of rather angry replies came into Rosemary's mind at this, but she remembered Napoleon and Charles the Second and swallowed the retorts that came to her lips.
The king of the cats was stolen from his great inheritance by a vain and greedy witch. Enslaved to her petty treacheries great and small until he is freed at long last by the fulfillment of a prophecy. I loved the simplicity of their magic. The foretold three queens are three Queen Victoria farthings. It's quirky enough to impress anyone who desperately wants something good to happen but isn't greedy. Rosemary was a cool little kid in that way. She would have been good to hang out with when you didn't know what to do. I always dreaded other kids coming over and invariably put out when my ideas weren't to their taste. You wouldn't have to entertain her because she'd see the possibility in the thing. She takes to Carbonel's plight of freedom to return to his rightful place in that way. I loved reading about how she (and her new friend, John) go about discovering the right steps and tools to get the job done . Going to the market and hunting down who bought the witch's hat. Inventing clumsy and charming verse for the tattered twig broom. It's increasingly sadder when she knows the specialness is coming to an end. Maybe going to school and plain old stuff isn't that great. It's elusive, staying happy. It's damn hard work. Rosemary has those moments I know too well of a lucky good mood disappearing (and you get mad at yourself for letting it happen) when some bitchy girls remind you of how tedious it can be. It's going to be sad when John goes home, when school is back on and most of all when they aren't working for something that matters like setting Carbonel free. I liked that wistful feeling of it being over before it was all over. I liked best of all that acknowledging that kind of feeling was a way of feeling more alive about the good thing while it was happening. It wouldn't be fair to the cat who takes his place very seriously, either. The sky tops of London become star scrapers of if you look the right way, the side of your eye when a tree branch is sinister and a cloud more than. A kingdom of alley cats. I must say that I appreciated the hearth rug cats weren't turned away by noses in the air. It made me happy that the creature comforted beasties got some respect, anyway. They've got to find their own friends amongst themselves and two legged animals. The only thing I have a tough time in believing is that more cats aren't kings or queens. In their own minds, at least. Only ONE cat will fight Carbonel for his kingdom upon his return? Only one cat wouldn't take that bullshit of paying taxes to the fat ginger cat who did fancy feast himself the king of the forest of smoke stacks. The real world that existed within the every day world of going to work and post office, etc. People with noses to grindstones below. I feel sometimes like I slip out of worlds when in my head thinking about what I want to think about, and when I'm amongst coworkers babbling about their 401ks and divorce settlements of famous athletes. Anyway, turning the real = useful turned another way is great. The cat world slips into doing cat things. What do they do when they aren't doing useful cat things like keeping their coats clean, procreating and eating? Something wild, probably. I can't picture Carbonel wild, though. He's one of those cats you wonder what do they get up to....
I loved that Rosemary's hardworking mother wasn't overlooked. It made me quite upset at first when Rosemary asks her to do some emergency seamstress working for the theatre troupe (they wouldn't get the important witch's hat for the freedom spell without it). Oh no, her one real day off! She admits that she was disappointed to lose that. I loved that. I can see that she was probably a lot like Rosemary when she was young. Her daughter would be trying to live the lost longed for treat in her mind before having to give it up to do the right thing. But it all works out because she gets to have the rare job that you like doing. Wardrobe mistress for the theatre company. Anyway, I thought it was great this relationship between mother and daughter. They really did have a cozy life despite being poor. Sleigh (and reminded me a lot of C.S. Lewis in this way) goes "Oh, you know what it's like" sometimes in lieu of describing the fancy fair foods or dinners. It's a tradition between them for mother to tell daughter about how the other half live. I kind of wished she would have kept in mind future generations who didn't know what it was all about. It's a sweet version of the urchin with their nose to the glass when Rosemary and Mrs. Brown do it. I have watched many travel videos for places I'll never be able to afford to visit. I get it. I liked reading about the cozy poor food that they do eat, anyway. When I was a kid I'd love to read that kind of stuff like Matilda finally getting to eat real butter on her toast (a fellow margarine consumer). It's all in the spirit of liking the street urchin window feeling. You don't get to be Carbonel and it feels good wishing you could be (like when it's time to go to work).
The ending claims that the witch is a reformed dishwasher. Well, I know from the plot description of the second book (Carbonel and friends have three in all) that this isn't true. There are more ways to stick it to the cat who wouldn't break to her will. She probably works her sneaking kind of ill meaning mischief in the tea shop, too. I can see her requesting any day off that she knew a coworker had their heart set on. That would be the sort of thing the old woman would do.
A number of rather angry replies came into Rosemary's mind at this, but she remembered Napoleon and Charles the Second and swallowed the retorts that came to her lips.
The king of the cats was stolen from his great inheritance by a vain and greedy witch. Enslaved to her petty treacheries great and small until he is freed at long last by the fulfillment of a prophecy. I loved the simplicity of their magic. The foretold three queens are three Queen Victoria farthings. It's quirky enough to impress anyone who desperately wants something good to happen but isn't greedy. Rosemary was a cool little kid in that way. She would have been good to hang out with when you didn't know what to do. I always dreaded other kids coming over and invariably put out when my ideas weren't to their taste. You wouldn't have to entertain her because she'd see the possibility in the thing. She takes to Carbonel's plight of freedom to return to his rightful place in that way. I loved reading about how she (and her new friend, John) go about discovering the right steps and tools to get the job done . Going to the market and hunting down who bought the witch's hat. Inventing clumsy and charming verse for the tattered twig broom. It's increasingly sadder when she knows the specialness is coming to an end. Maybe going to school and plain old stuff isn't that great. It's elusive, staying happy. It's damn hard work. Rosemary has those moments I know too well of a lucky good mood disappearing (and you get mad at yourself for letting it happen) when some bitchy girls remind you of how tedious it can be. It's going to be sad when John goes home, when school is back on and most of all when they aren't working for something that matters like setting Carbonel free. I liked that wistful feeling of it being over before it was all over. I liked best of all that acknowledging that kind of feeling was a way of feeling more alive about the good thing while it was happening. It wouldn't be fair to the cat who takes his place very seriously, either. The sky tops of London become star scrapers of if you look the right way, the side of your eye when a tree branch is sinister and a cloud more than. A kingdom of alley cats. I must say that I appreciated the hearth rug cats weren't turned away by noses in the air. It made me happy that the creature comforted beasties got some respect, anyway. They've got to find their own friends amongst themselves and two legged animals. The only thing I have a tough time in believing is that more cats aren't kings or queens. In their own minds, at least. Only ONE cat will fight Carbonel for his kingdom upon his return? Only one cat wouldn't take that bullshit of paying taxes to the fat ginger cat who did fancy feast himself the king of the forest of smoke stacks. The real world that existed within the every day world of going to work and post office, etc. People with noses to grindstones below. I feel sometimes like I slip out of worlds when in my head thinking about what I want to think about, and when I'm amongst coworkers babbling about their 401ks and divorce settlements of famous athletes. Anyway, turning the real = useful turned another way is great. The cat world slips into doing cat things. What do they do when they aren't doing useful cat things like keeping their coats clean, procreating and eating? Something wild, probably. I can't picture Carbonel wild, though. He's one of those cats you wonder what do they get up to....
I loved that Rosemary's hardworking mother wasn't overlooked. It made me quite upset at first when Rosemary asks her to do some emergency seamstress working for the theatre troupe (they wouldn't get the important witch's hat for the freedom spell without it). Oh no, her one real day off! She admits that she was disappointed to lose that. I loved that. I can see that she was probably a lot like Rosemary when she was young. Her daughter would be trying to live the lost longed for treat in her mind before having to give it up to do the right thing. But it all works out because she gets to have the rare job that you like doing. Wardrobe mistress for the theatre company. Anyway, I thought it was great this relationship between mother and daughter. They really did have a cozy life despite being poor. Sleigh (and reminded me a lot of C.S. Lewis in this way) goes "Oh, you know what it's like" sometimes in lieu of describing the fancy fair foods or dinners. It's a tradition between them for mother to tell daughter about how the other half live. I kind of wished she would have kept in mind future generations who didn't know what it was all about. It's a sweet version of the urchin with their nose to the glass when Rosemary and Mrs. Brown do it. I have watched many travel videos for places I'll never be able to afford to visit. I get it. I liked reading about the cozy poor food that they do eat, anyway. When I was a kid I'd love to read that kind of stuff like Matilda finally getting to eat real butter on her toast (a fellow margarine consumer). It's all in the spirit of liking the street urchin window feeling. You don't get to be Carbonel and it feels good wishing you could be (like when it's time to go to work).
The ending claims that the witch is a reformed dishwasher. Well, I know from the plot description of the second book (Carbonel and friends have three in all) that this isn't true. There are more ways to stick it to the cat who wouldn't break to her will. She probably works her sneaking kind of ill meaning mischief in the tea shop, too. I can see her requesting any day off that she knew a coworker had their heart set on. That would be the sort of thing the old woman would do.
March 3, 2019
Jedna od najboljih knjiga za decu koju sam pročitala. Nemoguće je ne obožavati gordog, prepametnog, ali odanog i umiljatog Karbonela. Krenite u avanturu i čeka vas prijateljstvo, lekcije o uzajamnom poštovanju, magija i let do samih zvezda. Probajte da ne ostanete tamo 😉💫
February 6, 2011
From the 1930s to the 1960s, roughly speaking, there was a golden era of children's literature. Many of the authors were British - E. Nesbit, Arthur Ransome, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Mervyn Peake, and so many more -- and some were American (Madeleine L'engle). Barbara Sleigh belongs to this era, and her Carbonel series is a wonderful trilogy of books about the King of the Cats and his adventures with some British children who through various magical means can understand his language. "Carbonel" is the first of the series. In it we meet Carbonel in straightened circumstances, and the children help him regain his throne. The plot is straightforward and the jeopardy gentle; these books are best for the younger kid set (6-8 or 9). The fun is in the witty presentation of the cat's attitude toward humans, which is often scathing and only occasionally kind. The British did this sort of thing particularly well; the heart of the book is always in the right place, but doesn't becomes sappy because of the dash of clear-eyed reality never far from the action.
There's a great danger that these classic books will get lost in the shuffle of time. With all the other claims on kid's attention, who will read them these long, leisurely, wonderful tales from another era? At least The New York Review of Books has done parents and kids a huge service by bringing out these beautifully printed and illustrated editions of classics that do not deserve to be forgotten.
There's a great danger that these classic books will get lost in the shuffle of time. With all the other claims on kid's attention, who will read them these long, leisurely, wonderful tales from another era? At least The New York Review of Books has done parents and kids a huge service by bringing out these beautifully printed and illustrated editions of classics that do not deserve to be forgotten.
June 16, 2018
I remember this from primary school, junior section so I was about 9/10 - the edition above says 2005, but it's close to what I remember - would have been 1980.
It was so good - stuck in my head. Must read.
It was so good - stuck in my head. Must read.
August 16, 2014
Although I gave this a 4 at the time it should probably be lower, as I just read the sequel without remembering this book or the characters in the least.
July 8, 2015
This was a favorite book from my childhood, and it's still excellent 40 years later. I just ordered it for my own daughter, who just loves cats. (We have three.) Even though she's 15, she still loved reading Carbonel: The King of Cats. I'm so pleased that it's back in print! Some children's books are so good that you don't have to be young to enjoy them. This is one.
August 26, 2017
Very nice ordinary magic story, but it seemed a little too long. There was the curious idea of not describing things by saying, "I'm not going to describe this food - just think of the most wonderful meal you can imagine." Quite the opposite of Elizabeth Goudge in The Little White Horse: Collector's Edition where everything gets described in mouthwatering detail.
May 1, 2017
Dated, simple adventure fantasy. No real wisdom, resonance, or poignancy... or humor, for that matter. Everything kinda just falls into place: the children always have just enough pocket change, they never bicker, Carbonel is meant to be leader by right of Birth (which, you know, grates on my American sensibilities just too much), the rich lady is kind, the mother is patient, etc. Ok fine. Let's move along to Nesbit or Eager or Farjeon, all right?
September 18, 2018
I remember reading this book when I was 7 or 8. Ah, those lovely days when books were not dumbed-down for children. No wonder we were such good readers. A lovely story, I enjoyed it very much the second-time 'round.
July 27, 2024
I will always read and love children's books. This one has a classic theme, a child suddenly finds witchcraft and it all seems very natural, but leads to a great adventure. The characters are nice, well behaved courageous and funny. And, it has a cat!
April 10, 2012
Long before Harry Potter, the Carbonel series captured that same British magical whimsy. Carbonel and its sequel were among my favorite books at the library when I was about 9-12. Imagine my delight when this book, originally published in 1955, was re-released... followed by two sequels! I didn't even know it was a trilogy. I completed my set, and now I'm reading through them from the beginning.[return][return]Young Rosemary plans on cleaning houses to make her summer break pass by. However, when she buys a ratty broom from an odd old lady at the market, a black cat is thrown into the bargain. But this cat is no ordinary cat: he is Carbonel, a kidnapped Prince of Royal Blood. He has spent his entire life as the witch's minion. Rosemary's purchase broke part of the curse, but there is still a spell of Silent Magic that holds him in bondage. To make things worse, his now-dead father's kingdom is in disarray with cruel usurping alley cats in charge, and Carbonel cannot take his rightful throne as a human's minion. Rosemary and her new friend John set out to solve the mystery and set the cat free by hunting out the artifacts used in the original spell.[return][return]This book is just as magical as when I first read in twenty years ago. I look forward to reading this with my own son in the coming years.
August 25, 2017
I read this book when I was 11, found it in the Long-side public library, Manchester, UK. It was an amazing adventure this one, not just because it starred a little girl and her cat, but because the adventures they had were crazy and fun. I have to read it once more. I always wanted to read the sequels, but never found them, now I'll have to look for the e-books.
Update on 4th read: 25/08/2017
Wow! Finally bought my own copy from amazon.uk thanks to a bookpage in Bangladesh. I am holding this after nearly 25 years!
The loveliest things are the illustrations. ♥♥♥♥♥
It felt sooooo good to read the parebook! Yeyy!
Have ordered the other two sequels which I will receive in September hopefully! (^_^)
Update on 4th read: 25/08/2017
Wow! Finally bought my own copy from amazon.uk thanks to a bookpage in Bangladesh. I am holding this after nearly 25 years!
The loveliest things are the illustrations. ♥♥♥♥♥
It felt sooooo good to read the parebook! Yeyy!
Have ordered the other two sequels which I will receive in September hopefully! (^_^)
July 27, 2009
This was a raving good time. I loved all of the characters, and it is consistently funny, well-written, and action packed. I love the way she phrases things, and I also love the way she writes dialog. Every character has a unique voice, and most have a funny way of saying things. I'm so glad this is only the first in a series of 3 novels, because I want to read more about Carbonel, Rosemarie and John.
I realize I can't read all the NYRB Classics, so I've a mind to read all the NYRB Children's books instead, since there are considerably less of them. This was only my second in this series, hopefully I'll reach my goal one day!
I realize I can't read all the NYRB Classics, so I've a mind to read all the NYRB Children's books instead, since there are considerably less of them. This was only my second in this series, hopefully I'll reach my goal one day!
December 5, 2018
ENGLISH: A nice story (first of a series) about the black cat of a witch which turns to be the long-lost child of the king of the cats in London. There is some magic (not too much) while the cat and his human friends (two ten-years children) try to undo the spell of the witch against her cat.
ESPAÑOL: Una bonita historia (primera de una serie) sobre el gato negro de una bruja, que resulta ser el hijo perdido del rey de los gatos de Londres. Hay algo de magia (no demasiada), mientras el gato y sus amigos humanos (dos niños de diez años) intentan deshacer el hechizo de la bruja contra su gato.
ESPAÑOL: Una bonita historia (primera de una serie) sobre el gato negro de una bruja, que resulta ser el hijo perdido del rey de los gatos de Londres. Hay algo de magia (no demasiada), mientras el gato y sus amigos humanos (dos niños de diez años) intentan deshacer el hechizo de la bruja contra su gato.
April 13, 2021
I was absolutely obsessed with this book as a child after getting an audiobook of it from the library.
I honestly can't remember anything that happens in this except I think the cat can talk? And it was really really good. I loved reading old books and so I don't remember the setting of this being particularly jarring, even though it's set in the 50s and I was reading this in the early 2000s.
Anyway, it was a childhood favourite and I hope to read it again.
I honestly can't remember anything that happens in this except I think the cat can talk? And it was really really good. I loved reading old books and so I don't remember the setting of this being particularly jarring, even though it's set in the 50s and I was reading this in the early 2000s.
Anyway, it was a childhood favourite and I hope to read it again.
May 3, 2009
I loved this book and am happy to hear it's back in print. My current cat goes by the sobriquet "Huckle, King of All the Cats" and I knew it came from a book, but couldn't remember... here it is. :-)
***Re-read 05/2009
Carbonel is just as crochety and (shhhh) adorable as I remembered him being. What a wonderful story for cat people everywhere.
***Re-read 05/2009
Carbonel is just as crochety and (shhhh) adorable as I remembered him being. What a wonderful story for cat people everywhere.
February 20, 2024
Carbonel: The King of the Cats was written by Barbara Sleigh and published in 1955. It follows a young girl named Rosemary Brown who lives with her seamstress mother in London. When Rosemary buys a broom at a marketplace she doesn’t realize it’s a witch’s broom and she gets the magical cat Carbonel into the bargain. Carbonel is the ‘King of the cats’ but he is under a spell and cannot rule his people. Rosemary sets out along with her new friend John to undo the spell placed on Carbonel.
My brother got me this adorable vintage book for Christmas and I’m so glad he did! It was such a delight. It was well written for a children’s book, had delightful characters and a bit of fun magic mixed in. This had a Kiki’s Delivery Service and The Cat Returns vibe ( two Studio Ghibli movies). I think if you like those movies you would like this book. Of course being a cat person this also appealed to me. Carbonel was a wonderful cat character. The magic in this was not very bizarre or out of the ordinary, but it was fun. Rosemary and John help break Carbonel’s spell in a very matter of fact way. I enjoyed both of them and their friendship as well. The way they instantly became friends with an open hearted ease and get along so well. Some other fun characters they come across in the book include some play actors, owners of a tea shop in desperate need of more china and a jolly antique dealer at the marketplace.
I enjoyed this a lot and I recommend it if it sounds like something you’d like!
My brother got me this adorable vintage book for Christmas and I’m so glad he did! It was such a delight. It was well written for a children’s book, had delightful characters and a bit of fun magic mixed in. This had a Kiki’s Delivery Service and The Cat Returns vibe ( two Studio Ghibli movies). I think if you like those movies you would like this book. Of course being a cat person this also appealed to me. Carbonel was a wonderful cat character. The magic in this was not very bizarre or out of the ordinary, but it was fun. Rosemary and John help break Carbonel’s spell in a very matter of fact way. I enjoyed both of them and their friendship as well. The way they instantly became friends with an open hearted ease and get along so well. Some other fun characters they come across in the book include some play actors, owners of a tea shop in desperate need of more china and a jolly antique dealer at the marketplace.
I enjoyed this a lot and I recommend it if it sounds like something you’d like!
August 11, 2025
I thought I'd write a review to bring attention to a very obscure, classic witchy children's book, even a highly flawed one.
That book is 'Carbonel' by Barbara Sleigh, published in 1955.
I had never heard of it at all - and I am very much into witchy fantasy media, particularly on the lit front - until I saw it in the children's section in a Waterstones bookshop whilst on holiday in Birmingham recently. It's the 2015 'A Puffin Book' edition. The cover looked so cute, and the premise sounded exactly like my thing, especially since I was satiating for something like 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (there was even a leatherbound classics' version of it at the bookshop!), that I had to buy it.
After reading 'Carbonel', I don't regret it, and I did enjoy most of it. It's about a young English girl, Rosemary Brown, and a talking black cat, Carbonel, who's an exiled prince amongst his alley cats, and who has been cursed to be a witch's slave. There is a sentient broom, a cauldron, and magic spells and rhyming words. Teas, snacks, dinners, luncheons, and cafés are had in practically every chapter. It is extremely British.
It all sounds delightful and charming, and it is.
Sadly, it has too many mistakes in its writing and storytelling for me to want to keep it.
Some of it can be attributed to it being written in the fifties. The children's book is easy and breezy enough to read in one day; however, it contains baffling phrases I had genuinely never heard of before.
Examples: "I'll stand you a go at the coconut shy," (page 230), and saying "I bags" in the middle of a sentence. I'm sure there are other old fashioned sayings I'm missing. Probably the most bizarre is when Rosemary's male friend (of course she has one of those, and seemingly no female friends her own age), John, says, "My jolly boys" (page 227). I refuse to believe that any ten-to-twelve-year-old boy has ever said, "Jolly boys", even in the 1950s. Especially when he is referring only to Rosemary and Carbonel the cat! Then again, John is rich, so maybe he unconsciously picked up on that pomposity from the foppish adults around him. He once calls Rosemary, "Whacko" (page 276), and apparently calling someone an "owl" (page 304) was considered an insult way back when.
These phrases jolly well took me out of the book a fair bit!
Perhaps it is not fair for me to criticise a classic novel for its language of its time that hasn't caught on and aged well. But I can rightly criticise it for clunky sentences such as:
'They bought a little tin of sardines from a stall which was a jumble of all kinds of tinned foods which had a large placard over it which said SMASHING REDUCTIONS! A PENNY OFF THE SHILLING!' - pages 195-6
How did something like that get past the editing stages? Three times the word 'which' is used in this small sentence, with no commas or anything.
Maybe this would be better:
'They bought a little tin of sardines from a stall, which was a jumble of all kinds of tinned foods. It had a large placard over it, saying, SMASHING REDUCTIONS! A PENNY OFF THE SHILLING!'
There's also:
'She [Rosemary] hurried through the door into the kitchen. The waitress passed her coming out with a dustpan and brush, and only the one she had referred to as Maggie was there.' - page 167
I had to read the above line several times for it to make sense to me.
It should have been:
'She [Rosemary] hurried through the door into the kitchen. The waitress came out past her, carrying a dustpan and brush, and only the woman the waitress had referred to as Maggie was there.'
But that's simply my opinion, I'm no English teacher or editor.
At one point Carbonel is described as stirring the cauldron with a rung from a broken chair (page 176). It is not explained how a cat can do that without apposable thumbs. Him using his nudging head, or his mouth, isn't described, either. Prince Carbonel talking (heard by people who hold the witch's broom) is the only extraordinary, supernatural thing about him.
Also, it is revealed near the end that the black cat has, "three royal, snow-white hairs it the end of his tail." (page 284), and Rosemary says, "I've often noticed them!" (page 285). This is despite the fact that this is the first time the white hairs are mentioned in the book. I've got to ask, WTF?
Oh, and at the beginning, the start of the potentially darling little Puffin Book, it is strongly implied that Rosemary has no friends. No school friends, anyway, as a couple of girls come up to her after school to boast where they're going on holiday, then, 'the two friends hurried off, giggling, together.' (page 2). Rosemary's good mood is instantly shattered at the thought of them being able to go anywhere for the holidays, unlike her. BUT, literally one hundred pages later, Rosemary, arriving back home from John's house, 'rather hoped that one of her friends would see them [her and her mother]'. Um, what friends? She just left John's place, so she can't be referring to him. Nor to any adults living near whom she isn't that close to. Again I ask, WTF?
Then there's the 1950s casual sexism, and children playing Cowboys and Indians, and the hero worshipping of historical authoritarian men like Napoleon.
SPEAKING OF RETROACTIVITY, we have this... nugget:
'After the first surprise of Carbonel's appearance he [John] seemed to have accepted the whole story [Rosemary's talking witch's cat story], as unquestionably as you accept the fact that the world is round, when apparently it is so very flat.' - page 99
Oh dear sweet gods and goddesses, think of how that could have been worded simpler and clearer, with no room for misinterpretations! It's a line in a children's book!
I probably would have forgiven the dated stuff that, to put it mildly, has not aged well, if 'Carbonel' were written better. Unfortunately, it needed another edit or two.
On that note, I come to its biggest fault, in my opinion:
Slight spoilers ahead:
Its last few pages, which could have easily wrapped up a few forgotten story details and characters in little, throwaway sentences. And quite a few characters are forgotten entirely, such as Rosemary's landlady, Mrs Walker, and the nameless, poor, kindly old man at a market stall who helps Rosemary and John a few times on their adventure. On pages 199-200, the children decide to give him a present, a sweet from a sweetshop, for being so helpful, and they almost do the good deed. But then this idea is dropped, completely forgotten about once the witchy stuff gets in the way.
Poor old man, indeed
Finally, there's the cauldron.
What happens to it?
Seriously, where is it?!
Last we read of it, it is put into the trunk of John's chauffer's car, and then it is never mentioned again. Does Rosemary keep it? But she doesn't keep any of the other magic witch things, and she insists she isn't a witch (despite being good at casting spells from an "evil" witch's book). Everything in her and her mother's flat gets moved and refurbished at the end - does that include the cauldron?
WHERE IS IT?! IT'S MISSING!
Did the author honest-to-goddess forget about one of the most important MacGuffins in the story?
Is it in the sequel? I'm not sure, it might be.
#WhereIsTheCarbonelCauldron?
'Carbonel' is ultimately anti-witch and adheres to the 'all witches are evil' idea, even though there is only one witch in it, Mrs Cantrip, and she is harmless, incompetent, useless, and sulky (yes, really, that is what her character is reduced to). Rosemary's inexplicable, exasperating declaration that she's not a witch herself further exemplifies this. Even 'Little Witch' by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, which came out two years before 'Carbonel', is more witch-friendly.
The fifties were fervently into selling anti-independent woman--I mean, anti-witch propaganda to children, weren't they? Despite how witches are a huge part of said published works - baked, brewed and bubble bubble toil and trouble'd into their premises and selling points.
Now for a few select positives in 'Carbonel':
Rosemary has a very nice, positive relationship with her widowed, overworked seamstress mother.
The climactic battle (yes, there is a battle in this pre-"cosy fantasy"), which involves an adorable abundance of cats, is exciting, and it contains a twist I did not see coming.
I like the café scenes, and the magic spell scenes. Rosemary Brown is a competent and charming little witch, worthy of Kiki, Minx Snickasnee, Molly Utterback, Tiga Whicabim, and Moth Hush. Less so Mildred Hubble, but she counts in the witchy roster, at least in the classic sense. And Rosemary is a witch, don't lie to me, book.
'Carbonel' is slightly better than 'How to Catch a Witch' by Abie Longstaff, as well.
(I knew I was a witch fantasy media expert.)
That just about covers everything I want to say about the most obscure of classic witch lit, 'Carbonel', aka 'Carbonel: The King of the Cats', aka 'Carbonel, the Prince of Cats'.
While I don't think it lived up to its full potential, and some instances of its writing are off and odd, I don't want it to fade into obscurity absolutely. I do recommend checking it out. Any witch media that's average or above average, even ones stubbornly not 100% pro-witch, deserves to be saved and preserved for future generations.
As a last sell: fans of 'Kiki's Delivery Service', Studio Ghibli films in general, and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' might enjoy 'Carbonel'.
A Waterstones in Birmingham has done a commendable job in selling and showing off the 2025 edition, with the cute cover.
Final Score: 3/5
EDIT: How could I forget? The first time Rosemary meets Carbonel and gets on the broom, she flies on it through her hometown (London?), and people see her and freak out! But then this is never mentioned again.
She was seen! She accidently knocked over a policeman! She was exposed on a flying broom in public! Then it's like it never happened. Like memories were magically erased, only there's nothing like that in this fantasy book.
No one talks about it, and it isn't in the newspapers or anything. In a 1955 book - post-WWII!
Did the author forget about it or ignore it? I guess it can be dismissed as part of the children's book's whimsical charm, but still!
That book is 'Carbonel' by Barbara Sleigh, published in 1955.
I had never heard of it at all - and I am very much into witchy fantasy media, particularly on the lit front - until I saw it in the children's section in a Waterstones bookshop whilst on holiday in Birmingham recently. It's the 2015 'A Puffin Book' edition. The cover looked so cute, and the premise sounded exactly like my thing, especially since I was satiating for something like 'Kiki's Delivery Service' (there was even a leatherbound classics' version of it at the bookshop!), that I had to buy it.
After reading 'Carbonel', I don't regret it, and I did enjoy most of it. It's about a young English girl, Rosemary Brown, and a talking black cat, Carbonel, who's an exiled prince amongst his alley cats, and who has been cursed to be a witch's slave. There is a sentient broom, a cauldron, and magic spells and rhyming words. Teas, snacks, dinners, luncheons, and cafés are had in practically every chapter. It is extremely British.
It all sounds delightful and charming, and it is.
Sadly, it has too many mistakes in its writing and storytelling for me to want to keep it.
Some of it can be attributed to it being written in the fifties. The children's book is easy and breezy enough to read in one day; however, it contains baffling phrases I had genuinely never heard of before.
Examples: "I'll stand you a go at the coconut shy," (page 230), and saying "I bags" in the middle of a sentence. I'm sure there are other old fashioned sayings I'm missing. Probably the most bizarre is when Rosemary's male friend (of course she has one of those, and seemingly no female friends her own age), John, says, "My jolly boys" (page 227). I refuse to believe that any ten-to-twelve-year-old boy has ever said, "Jolly boys", even in the 1950s. Especially when he is referring only to Rosemary and Carbonel the cat! Then again, John is rich, so maybe he unconsciously picked up on that pomposity from the foppish adults around him. He once calls Rosemary, "Whacko" (page 276), and apparently calling someone an "owl" (page 304) was considered an insult way back when.
These phrases jolly well took me out of the book a fair bit!
Perhaps it is not fair for me to criticise a classic novel for its language of its time that hasn't caught on and aged well. But I can rightly criticise it for clunky sentences such as:
'They bought a little tin of sardines from a stall which was a jumble of all kinds of tinned foods which had a large placard over it which said SMASHING REDUCTIONS! A PENNY OFF THE SHILLING!' - pages 195-6
How did something like that get past the editing stages? Three times the word 'which' is used in this small sentence, with no commas or anything.
Maybe this would be better:
'They bought a little tin of sardines from a stall, which was a jumble of all kinds of tinned foods. It had a large placard over it, saying, SMASHING REDUCTIONS! A PENNY OFF THE SHILLING!'
There's also:
'She [Rosemary] hurried through the door into the kitchen. The waitress passed her coming out with a dustpan and brush, and only the one she had referred to as Maggie was there.' - page 167
I had to read the above line several times for it to make sense to me.
It should have been:
'She [Rosemary] hurried through the door into the kitchen. The waitress came out past her, carrying a dustpan and brush, and only the woman the waitress had referred to as Maggie was there.'
But that's simply my opinion, I'm no English teacher or editor.
At one point Carbonel is described as stirring the cauldron with a rung from a broken chair (page 176). It is not explained how a cat can do that without apposable thumbs. Him using his nudging head, or his mouth, isn't described, either. Prince Carbonel talking (heard by people who hold the witch's broom) is the only extraordinary, supernatural thing about him.
Also, it is revealed near the end that the black cat has, "three royal, snow-white hairs it the end of his tail." (page 284), and Rosemary says, "I've often noticed them!" (page 285). This is despite the fact that this is the first time the white hairs are mentioned in the book. I've got to ask, WTF?
Oh, and at the beginning, the start of the potentially darling little Puffin Book, it is strongly implied that Rosemary has no friends. No school friends, anyway, as a couple of girls come up to her after school to boast where they're going on holiday, then, 'the two friends hurried off, giggling, together.' (page 2). Rosemary's good mood is instantly shattered at the thought of them being able to go anywhere for the holidays, unlike her. BUT, literally one hundred pages later, Rosemary, arriving back home from John's house, 'rather hoped that one of her friends would see them [her and her mother]'. Um, what friends? She just left John's place, so she can't be referring to him. Nor to any adults living near whom she isn't that close to. Again I ask, WTF?
Then there's the 1950s casual sexism, and children playing Cowboys and Indians, and the hero worshipping of historical authoritarian men like Napoleon.
SPEAKING OF RETROACTIVITY, we have this... nugget:
'After the first surprise of Carbonel's appearance he [John] seemed to have accepted the whole story [Rosemary's talking witch's cat story], as unquestionably as you accept the fact that the world is round, when apparently it is so very flat.' - page 99
Oh dear sweet gods and goddesses, think of how that could have been worded simpler and clearer, with no room for misinterpretations! It's a line in a children's book!
I probably would have forgiven the dated stuff that, to put it mildly, has not aged well, if 'Carbonel' were written better. Unfortunately, it needed another edit or two.
On that note, I come to its biggest fault, in my opinion:
Slight spoilers ahead:
Its last few pages, which could have easily wrapped up a few forgotten story details and characters in little, throwaway sentences. And quite a few characters are forgotten entirely, such as Rosemary's landlady, Mrs Walker, and the nameless, poor, kindly old man at a market stall who helps Rosemary and John a few times on their adventure. On pages 199-200, the children decide to give him a present, a sweet from a sweetshop, for being so helpful, and they almost do the good deed. But then this idea is dropped, completely forgotten about once the witchy stuff gets in the way.
Poor old man, indeed
Finally, there's the cauldron.
What happens to it?
Seriously, where is it?!
Last we read of it, it is put into the trunk of John's chauffer's car, and then it is never mentioned again. Does Rosemary keep it? But she doesn't keep any of the other magic witch things, and she insists she isn't a witch (despite being good at casting spells from an "evil" witch's book). Everything in her and her mother's flat gets moved and refurbished at the end - does that include the cauldron?
WHERE IS IT?! IT'S MISSING!
Did the author honest-to-goddess forget about one of the most important MacGuffins in the story?
Is it in the sequel? I'm not sure, it might be.
#WhereIsTheCarbonelCauldron?
'Carbonel' is ultimately anti-witch and adheres to the 'all witches are evil' idea, even though there is only one witch in it, Mrs Cantrip, and she is harmless, incompetent, useless, and sulky (yes, really, that is what her character is reduced to). Rosemary's inexplicable, exasperating declaration that she's not a witch herself further exemplifies this. Even 'Little Witch' by Anna Elizabeth Bennett, which came out two years before 'Carbonel', is more witch-friendly.
The fifties were fervently into selling anti-independent woman--I mean, anti-witch propaganda to children, weren't they? Despite how witches are a huge part of said published works - baked, brewed and bubble bubble toil and trouble'd into their premises and selling points.
Now for a few select positives in 'Carbonel':
Rosemary has a very nice, positive relationship with her widowed, overworked seamstress mother.
The climactic battle (yes, there is a battle in this pre-"cosy fantasy"), which involves an adorable abundance of cats, is exciting, and it contains a twist I did not see coming.
I like the café scenes, and the magic spell scenes. Rosemary Brown is a competent and charming little witch, worthy of Kiki, Minx Snickasnee, Molly Utterback, Tiga Whicabim, and Moth Hush. Less so Mildred Hubble, but she counts in the witchy roster, at least in the classic sense. And Rosemary is a witch, don't lie to me, book.
'Carbonel' is slightly better than 'How to Catch a Witch' by Abie Longstaff, as well.
(I knew I was a witch fantasy media expert.)
That just about covers everything I want to say about the most obscure of classic witch lit, 'Carbonel', aka 'Carbonel: The King of the Cats', aka 'Carbonel, the Prince of Cats'.
While I don't think it lived up to its full potential, and some instances of its writing are off and odd, I don't want it to fade into obscurity absolutely. I do recommend checking it out. Any witch media that's average or above average, even ones stubbornly not 100% pro-witch, deserves to be saved and preserved for future generations.
As a last sell: fans of 'Kiki's Delivery Service', Studio Ghibli films in general, and 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' might enjoy 'Carbonel'.
A Waterstones in Birmingham has done a commendable job in selling and showing off the 2025 edition, with the cute cover.
Final Score: 3/5
EDIT: How could I forget? The first time Rosemary meets Carbonel and gets on the broom, she flies on it through her hometown (London?), and people see her and freak out! But then this is never mentioned again.
She was seen! She accidently knocked over a policeman! She was exposed on a flying broom in public! Then it's like it never happened. Like memories were magically erased, only there's nothing like that in this fantasy book.
No one talks about it, and it isn't in the newspapers or anything. In a 1955 book - post-WWII!
Did the author forget about it or ignore it? I guess it can be dismissed as part of the children's book's whimsical charm, but still!
September 9, 2016
Such a fun, cute story. And of course I'm a sucker for a talking cat.
Review originally posted on Reading Autistically.
Still in the mood for some classic children's fantasy adventure goodness, I picked this one up. This is the story of Rosemary, a young girl who decides to help out her financially struggling mother by secretly offering her services as a cleaner during her summer holidays. Having bought a broom at the market from a strange old woman, who threw in a beautiful black cat in the bargain, she discovers to her delight that it is a magical witch's broom, and that while holding it she can her the cat speak. He is Carbonel, kidnapped cat royalty, and he needs her help to break the curse upon him.
I'd never heard of this until I spotted it randomly and picked it up, intrigued by the lovely cover illustration of a little girl on a flying broom with a black cat, I am after all a sucker for a cat. Carbonel is a really cute story, another that I would have loved as a child, full of adventures as Rosemary, Carbonel and their new friend John, try to track down the various items needed to release him so he can go back and save his people from the sinister ginger cat who has taken over in his absence. This reminded me a little of Enid Blyton, a compliment since I adored her books as a child, and I think this would be a sure fire hit for the same audience. Super adorable, talking cats, flying brooms, magic spells, wacky but very English adventures, what is not to love?
Review originally posted on Reading Autistically.
Still in the mood for some classic children's fantasy adventure goodness, I picked this one up. This is the story of Rosemary, a young girl who decides to help out her financially struggling mother by secretly offering her services as a cleaner during her summer holidays. Having bought a broom at the market from a strange old woman, who threw in a beautiful black cat in the bargain, she discovers to her delight that it is a magical witch's broom, and that while holding it she can her the cat speak. He is Carbonel, kidnapped cat royalty, and he needs her help to break the curse upon him.
I'd never heard of this until I spotted it randomly and picked it up, intrigued by the lovely cover illustration of a little girl on a flying broom with a black cat, I am after all a sucker for a cat. Carbonel is a really cute story, another that I would have loved as a child, full of adventures as Rosemary, Carbonel and their new friend John, try to track down the various items needed to release him so he can go back and save his people from the sinister ginger cat who has taken over in his absence. This reminded me a little of Enid Blyton, a compliment since I adored her books as a child, and I think this would be a sure fire hit for the same audience. Super adorable, talking cats, flying brooms, magic spells, wacky but very English adventures, what is not to love?
September 22, 2012
First published in 1955, it is the story of Rosemary, who lives with her widowed mother in a boarding house. They don't have much money, and Rosemary's mother supplements her pension by taking in sewing. During the summer holidays, while her mother is sewing at the house of the wealthy Mrs Pendlebury Parker, Rosemary decides to set herself up as a cleaner to help out financially. Because she knows she won't be able to take one out of the house, she buys a broom from an untidy looking woman in a market. She buys a cat from the same woman, and is shocked to discover that not only is he a talking cat, but the Prince of Cats, enchanted by the untidy woman- Mrs Cantrip, a witch. Rosemary has broken part of the enchantment, but not all of it, and she and Mrs Pendlebury Parker's nephew, John, set out to break it.
This is still a great read. Part of the joy of the book is the freedom that 1950s children had: Rosemary and John buy and cook sausages on a gas ring and take the bus to a local cathedral town to find Mrs Cantrip's cauldron, as well as other unsupervised adventures. Sleigh's descriptions are also a joy; she describes Rosemary's plaits as flapping like "the blades of an old pair of scissors" as she hops up the kerb. Carbonel is in the great tradition of grumpy magical helpers, like E. Nesbit's Psammead. I'd recommend it for guided and independent reading for children aged 8+, and it would be a fantastic book to read to classes of Y3 or 4.
This is still a great read. Part of the joy of the book is the freedom that 1950s children had: Rosemary and John buy and cook sausages on a gas ring and take the bus to a local cathedral town to find Mrs Cantrip's cauldron, as well as other unsupervised adventures. Sleigh's descriptions are also a joy; she describes Rosemary's plaits as flapping like "the blades of an old pair of scissors" as she hops up the kerb. Carbonel is in the great tradition of grumpy magical helpers, like E. Nesbit's Psammead. I'd recommend it for guided and independent reading for children aged 8+, and it would be a fantastic book to read to classes of Y3 or 4.
November 14, 2019
There was a reason why I chose to pick up this book although for the life of me I cannot remember why. I am, however, very glad that I did and am with Hilary (reviewer) when she gave it a sterling 4.5 stars.
Written in 1955 and part of a series of books that would span over 13 years of Sleigh's writing career, Carbonel is a magical-realism, rags-to-riches story (although the 'riches' part is not overdone at all) of a young girl and her mother who, with very little money, look to cover the costs of living over the summer.
When Elizabeth goes out one day in the hope of buying a broom to help her mother bring in a little more money, she encounters a retiring witch, her familiar and a broom on its last twigs. What unfurls then, is a wonderful adventure in which Elizabeth seeks to unbind the beautiful cat, Carbonel, from a curse placed upon him by his previous owner.
The story's themes and manner has shades of Edith Nesbitcoursing through it with a touch of magic blended into the everyday. A wonderful read-aloud book for a class (Y2 0r Y3) and a great bedtime read as well. Carbonel was also one of the first books to represent a low-income, struggling single-parent family.
Written in 1955 and part of a series of books that would span over 13 years of Sleigh's writing career, Carbonel is a magical-realism, rags-to-riches story (although the 'riches' part is not overdone at all) of a young girl and her mother who, with very little money, look to cover the costs of living over the summer.
When Elizabeth goes out one day in the hope of buying a broom to help her mother bring in a little more money, she encounters a retiring witch, her familiar and a broom on its last twigs. What unfurls then, is a wonderful adventure in which Elizabeth seeks to unbind the beautiful cat, Carbonel, from a curse placed upon him by his previous owner.
The story's themes and manner has shades of Edith Nesbitcoursing through it with a touch of magic blended into the everyday. A wonderful read-aloud book for a class (Y2 0r Y3) and a great bedtime read as well. Carbonel was also one of the first books to represent a low-income, struggling single-parent family.
November 3, 2014
Another book from the 'discard' pile - but one which has now gone straight back onto my shelves. I never read it as a child but I wish I had - this is a magical book in every sense of the word.
I actually shed a tear right at the end (always the sign of a good read) but mostly the book is gently humorous, as we share the unexpected adventures of Rosemary and John, two ordinary children who find themselves doing extraordinary things. Sometimes things go wrong, sometimes they go right, and Rosemary and John deal with it all as any child would - they must be two of the most true-to-life characters in children's literature.
This is one of the very best sorts of 'magic' books because all you have to do is go along with the possibility that there is such a thing as magic, and then everything else in the book is completely believable.
This is a light, quick read for an adult, and an enjoyable one for a child, and a truly delightful book.
The only downside is that now I need to track down the sequels. I'm supposed to be pruning the contents of my bookshelves, not adding to them ...
I actually shed a tear right at the end (always the sign of a good read) but mostly the book is gently humorous, as we share the unexpected adventures of Rosemary and John, two ordinary children who find themselves doing extraordinary things. Sometimes things go wrong, sometimes they go right, and Rosemary and John deal with it all as any child would - they must be two of the most true-to-life characters in children's literature.
This is one of the very best sorts of 'magic' books because all you have to do is go along with the possibility that there is such a thing as magic, and then everything else in the book is completely believable.
This is a light, quick read for an adult, and an enjoyable one for a child, and a truly delightful book.
The only downside is that now I need to track down the sequels. I'm supposed to be pruning the contents of my bookshelves, not adding to them ...
June 2, 2019
I thought I'd read Carbonel as a child, as we definitely had the books. It turns out that it was my brother who had read it and I, for some reason had decided not to. This is most unlike me as I was a voracious reader as a kid and usually read anything that floated before my eyes. I have now rectified the situation a few decades later than most people. I have to say that waiting did not dull the enjoyment. This is an old fashioned, charming, magical adventure, right up my street then. Right up my street now. There are three books in the series and I shall definitely make a point of finding and reading the other two. This is a standalone adventure though, so you don't need to read on if you don't like. Rosemary is a great character. Surprisingly for the time it was written she is most definitely the heroine of the piece. She's practical, intelligent and clever. Although she gets a side kick who is a boy about a third of the way through the book, she continues to be practical, intelligent and clever and doesn't suddenly swoon and give him all the best jobs to do. It's surprisingly modern and really great fun.
March 12, 2018
I never read this series as a child and I'm sorry I missed it. I really enjoyed this one, the first in the series. The characters were all well developed and believable - well - as believable as owning a magic broom and a talking cat can be - and for being written in 1955 it is not nearly as dated as it might be. I love the binding of the 2004 publication - it is so reminiscent of books of the 50's and before.
It's a sweet and simple story, the magic gentle and non-violent. I wished that Carbonel could have been a bit nicer to poor Rosemary who just wanted a pet to cuddle with, but he is a king, after all. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending but it was a fun read and I will seek out the other two to see where it goes from here.
It's a sweet and simple story, the magic gentle and non-violent. I wished that Carbonel could have been a bit nicer to poor Rosemary who just wanted a pet to cuddle with, but he is a king, after all. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending but it was a fun read and I will seek out the other two to see where it goes from here.
July 8, 2017
Rosie needs a broom and goes to an open air market to find one. It's late and most shops have closed. All she can find is an old twig broom. Then she gives three Queen Victoria coins for a big black cat.
The broom is a witch's broom. Carbonel is a witch's cat and under a silent magic spell. Rosie is his way to undo the spell so he can reclaim his father's throne as Kind of the Cats.
Along the way Rosie and Carbonel team up with John. They seek the hat and cauldron. Along the way they meet many interesting people.
This is a very British book but fun for everyone to read. Some of the antics left me laughing. It does reflect life from a previous but modern time in London.
The book is a fast, easy read. It is fun and often mildly humorous.
The broom is a witch's broom. Carbonel is a witch's cat and under a silent magic spell. Rosie is his way to undo the spell so he can reclaim his father's throne as Kind of the Cats.
Along the way Rosie and Carbonel team up with John. They seek the hat and cauldron. Along the way they meet many interesting people.
This is a very British book but fun for everyone to read. Some of the antics left me laughing. It does reflect life from a previous but modern time in London.
The book is a fast, easy read. It is fun and often mildly humorous.
November 15, 2011
Carbonel, a witch's cat with the airs of a prince, is saved from a life of servitude by a young girl. The girl, Rosemary, continues to perform more favors for the cat when she enlists the help of John and the two of them endeavor to free Carbonel from his bonds once and for all.
This is a pleasant and old-fashioned book that I quite enjoyed. The young heroes encounter very few problems in the story, but the nostalgic charm is what really makes the book worth reading. I'm not sure any kids today (yikes, I sound old) would like this book, but an old soul would probably find it quite endearing.
This is a pleasant and old-fashioned book that I quite enjoyed. The young heroes encounter very few problems in the story, but the nostalgic charm is what really makes the book worth reading. I'm not sure any kids today (yikes, I sound old) would like this book, but an old soul would probably find it quite endearing.
December 8, 2017
This is a nearly perfect read-aloud for younger children in a family setting - that is, one-on-one or in small groups of mixed ages, when the listeners are ages 4 to 8 years old.
A humble, hardworking, polite, kind girl makes all the right decisions and gets a lovely adventure attempting to break the spell that is binding a talking cat - with the use of a flying broom, and a magic kettle & hat.
She gets help from a sweet but clearly secondary boy, and both of them use ingenuity, good instincts, and a ready, willing alacrity to help others.
The medium-length chapter book with occasional b&w illustrations does not drag, and wraps up in a very satisfactory way.
A humble, hardworking, polite, kind girl makes all the right decisions and gets a lovely adventure attempting to break the spell that is binding a talking cat - with the use of a flying broom, and a magic kettle & hat.
She gets help from a sweet but clearly secondary boy, and both of them use ingenuity, good instincts, and a ready, willing alacrity to help others.
The medium-length chapter book with occasional b&w illustrations does not drag, and wraps up in a very satisfactory way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2017
A delightful and very British children's chapter book about a girl and her magic cat. Not weighed down with a lot of morality, the children are allowed to be children, getting cross with one another, subjected to bullies, and playing games in between their adventures to return the cat to his rightful throne.
The peril is just enough to keep young readers interested, and some words and phrases American parents and children alike will need to look up, but that's half the fun!
The peril is just enough to keep young readers interested, and some words and phrases American parents and children alike will need to look up, but that's half the fun!
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