I got this book for my son who is actually "too old" for picture books. The story is naïve but beautiful, it celebrates someone who values relationship (with cats) over money. It also makes hyper-capitalism fail.Ok so it is an unrealistic fantasy. It's a beautiful one and I love it. For all cat lovers and for people who want a beautiful story not a true one. (keats would say beauty is truth though) Although I've heard a different version of this particular story, I adored this one and felt as though I were hearing it for the first time. Maybe that's because of my own passion for felines or because of those lively cat-filled mixed media illustrations. Unlike many other ship captains, Captain Cat is not motivated by greed or the desire to become wealthy. He becomes the object of much derision because he adores cats, and when he sets sail, the cats go along. When he eventually arrives at a rat-infested island, the cats rid it of the vermin, and the Queen offers him much wealth as his reward. The cats stay behind while he sails home, and the other merchants are determined to have their own share of the wealth that the island boasts. Of course, they get their just desserts, and what goes around comes around. I had to laugh when I saw the special gifts the Queen presents to the traders, and I smiled at the illustration with all those cats facing along the beach while others leaped from Captain Cat's ship. Naturally, the message contained in the book about what we value being determined according to what we need is a good one worth exploring with young readers. Those cats all seem to be enjoying themselves, as does Captain Cat. Who can ask for anything more?
What do You think about Captain Cat (2013)?
What I'd like to know is how much cat litter Captain Cat has to stock up on before every voyage.
—BObby1
A funny little "tail" about the relative value of cats and jewels.
—Suezyq
I liked the lesson, but the ending was a little weird/drawn out.
—dins
the endpapers are pretty, but why are there no Siamese cats?!
—Maria
