A really fun reissue of the book of cat stories retold by Ramsay Wood, this was originally published in 1984 and now makes a welcome return.
Settle down with this slim volume of feline frolics and entertain your moggie or the cat-lover in your life.
Tales of cat courage, cat cunning, and cat cuteness appear in this lovely book, which will delight young readers with its easily digested text and its witty illustrations.
The central story is, of course, the title one, where a certain Lady Slickcheats her way to banish her animal rivals from court in “the days when humans and animals shared a language.”
Elsewhere, Cousin Cat attempts to trick its tigress relative with inevitable results,while a mythical blue cat leads to a steady and prosperous kingdom (so many of these traditional tales are populated by royalty).
It is a winning collection which will make your favourite feline purr with delight and confirm its place as the greatest member of your family. There’s even a tale where a cat delivers a message to a domestic puss via its owner!
Wood has a good sense of what makes a strong story with a twist or a moral, and clearly loves cats of all kinds, breeds, and temperaments.
With each new edition of this book, we have lost an original story – the number in this revised edition is eight – which seems a shame, but what is left is quick and amusing reading.
A Cat May Look At A King by Ramsay Wood is available now, with more details here.
***.5