Titanicat

by Marty Crisp, Robert Papp (Illustrator)

Overview

Young Jim Mulholland can't believe his good luck: He has signed on as a cabin boy to the world's finest ocean liner, the Titanic, and can't wait for the history-making voyage across the sea to America. As part of his duties Jim is in charge of the ship's cat, a beautiful tortoiseshell that also appears happy to be on board. He calls the cat by the ship's construction number, 4-0-1, certain that she will bring him good luck. And he's delighted when 4-0-1 shortly gives birth to a litter of kittens. But once the ship's trial runs are completed and it's ready to launch to sea, Jim notices that 4-0-1 is nowhere to be found. He's got to find her-the Titanic can't cast off without her lucky cat. Jim is faced with a decision that will affect the rest of his life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585363551
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	06/05/2008
Series:	Sleeping Bear Picture Books
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Marty Crisp has published many award-winning books for children and adults, and has been a newspaper journalist for thirty years. She often writes about animals that hold a special interest, and a special place in her heart. In her work on White Star, a book about a dog on the Titanic, Marty did original research, interviewing the families of Titanic survivors and other premier Titanic historians. In was during her research for White Star that she uncovered the true story of the Titanic’s cat that saved a young boy’s life. She has written many books about animals in the popular "Everything" series.

Because Robert Papp's childhood drawings of his favorite superheros were such a pleasure, it was only natural that he would wind up an illustrator. Nowadays, his award-winning artwork appears on book covers and in magazines instead of on the refrigerator. He has produced hundreds of cover illustrations for major publishers across the United States. Robert lives in historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

Young Jim Mulholland's very excited to be a cabin boy on the new ship Titanic. It's not only the ship's maiden voyage, but his as well. He deems it good luck when a tortoiseshell cat greets him at the ship's berth. She turns out to be the ship's cat, and Jim is put in charge of her. He discovers she's just had a litter onboard, and Jim has his hands full with both cats and chores. In Southampton, Jim sees the cat taking her kittens ashore as the passengers are boarding. The cat isn't fast enough to get all her kittens, so Jim helps and finds himself stranded on shore as the ship leaves. When news of the disaster breaks, Jim thanks the mother cat for sharing her luck with him. Based on stories that came to light only recently, Crisp's tale is told well enough. Papp's photorealistic paintings are beautiful but overdramatic, and the cats are inconsistently colored. Still, this will please young Titanicophiles and some kitten fans. (bibliography, author's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews