Cats Books

I love all the Jonathan Scott Big Cat Series Books. This is an excellent book for anyone who loves big cats. Plenty of info on habitat, biology, and great pictures!

I was watching big cat diary from the TV last week, and found out this program is just exactly the book I hv ordered from Amazon in Oct. I am exciting when receive this book. It has many beautiful cheetahs pictures. It worths to be one of your collection.

Being my favourite big cat doco, I had to buy the books to compliment Big Cat Diary.
I was not disappointed. The photos in this Leopard book are entirely unique and often include extremely rare images.
The writers/film makers have experienced some amazing things over their years of filming but most of it isn't covered in the TV series. This book goes into a lot more detail of the lives of certain Leopards and you really become attached to them by name (can be sad when you discover one has died).

Spectacular photos and highly engaging stories make this a winner.

Love the book and the fast service. I love all of the books that Jonathan Scott has written. I just wish in the US that we could still see the Big Cat Diary Series.

I love this book! Leopards are my # 4 favorite animals of all time topped only by jaguars, tigers, and of course lions. I think they are both cool and beautiful. I loved all the ones in here, most definitely the female ones. They were the most cool and beautiful. The only bad part was any of them getting hurt or killed, but other than that this book rocked! The cubs were cute, also. And boy, did I ever learn a lot about lions and hyenas as well as leopards. Like I said, this is a terrific book. I own it at home and will own it until my dying day. I highly reccomend it to anyone over the age of 12. Man, oh man, Amazon.com, you keep up making books like this.

This is the second of the Kennedy books I have read. I liked 'Ironweed' much better. True, this one has a great opening scene in which there is a head- on- head bowling match related with great suspense and pizzazz. Billy takes on a serious cheap character named Streck. Each one has his own backer. Streck's is Charlie McCall a scion of the family that runs Albany political life. Billy Phelan's is Morrie Berman, a small- time Jewish hood who has sympathy for the fatherless Phelan. The bowling match and especially its aftermath takes a surprising and violent turn, in typical Kennedy style.
At the end of the novel Billy Phelan who has stood by his principles and is not a stoolie finds himself ostracized.
All in all this is a tough realistic work, with sharp dialect and real humor.
If I did not go for it as much as I went for the 'Ironweed' book it is I believe because the violence of the whole thing, the world and the people in it, come to finally turn me off. As I see it Kennedy is a kind of more realistic, and serious Damon Runyan. But precisely Runyan's gentleness with his characters, his feeling that the oddballs and screwballs of his gambling, sports , crime world are loveable jerks after all is what greatly appeals to me. This is not to say Kennedy does not do a good job in delineating admirable sides of his characters, but rather only anything which goes so swiftly and casually from violence to violence ( even in language)is not my cup of Schaefer's , Budweiser's , Ballantine's Miller's , Molson's or any other Albany beer.

Billy Phelan, son of long gone Francis (Ironweed) has become a "man about town" on the streets of Albany. A snappy dresser, willing to participate in, or bet on, any game in town, has found himself caught up in a kidnapping. This isn't just another game and Billy must play the game of his life for his life.Again Kennedy has the talent to make his wide variety of characters true. My advice is to read this book before Flaming Corsage. The whole cast is there.

"Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" by William Kennedy is a mesmerizing, hysterical, and suspenseful romp through Depression-era Albany. Read the first chapter, where Billy bowls someone "to death", and I seriously doubt that you will put the book down. Billy is one of the most memorable characters in William Kennedy's galaxy, moreso than Francis Phelan in my book. Billy is a risk-taker, a guy whose heart is in the right place, and a rough-and-tumble sort that relies on his confidence in the midst of trouble. And these are the qualities that make him the inevitable, although unwilling, middle-man in a kidnapping negotiation.

Billy's world of gamblers, drinkers, sharks, corrupt Albany lackies, and broken families is dark and smoky but never despairing or hopeless. And Billy's moral calculus is a bright spot in this otherwise bleak setting. For my money, "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" is the best of three in the Albany cycle. I found "Legs" to be slow-going and lacking focus. "Ironweed" is a sensational book, a close second to this novel, but its plot of two drinkers going from job to job, joint to joint, drink to drink does begin to wear down. "Billy Phelan's Greatest Game" has a good deal of plot tension, moral conflicts, humor, and a wider array of characters. I'm in the minority here, and that's fine, but in my analysis it's
WIN: (by a nose)"Billy Phelan's Greatest Game"
PLACE: "Ironweed"
SHOW: "Legs"

Billy Phelan is my fave of the great Kennedys' books. Billy is a fun guy to roam about with, listen to, learn from and even be inspired by. He is a great pool shooter, decent poker player, half-ass bookie and lovely raconteur.He takes the world as it comes and dives in to any and all of it with gusto and guts.Kennedy tosses in illustrative examples of the magic in daily life and the importance of being able to bounce back from those inevitable moments of (temporary!) defeat. All this told in Kennedys fine voice, a voice like that of a chain-smoking angel who can tell a snappy joke or a dazzling blue stretcher. What fun.

Albany, New York, during the Depression, when mobsters, crooked politicians, and fast-buck artists were in control, is the setting of _Billy Phelan's Greatest Game-, the second in William Kennedy's "Albany cycle." With some of the same characters appearing in the earlier _Legs_, and later appearing in the later Pulitzer Prize-winning novel _Ironweed_, this novel is a huge step forward for Kennedy. His ability to define character, create suspense, and explore major themes affecting fathers and sons and their values is far more sophisticated here than in _Legs_, the story of mobster Jack "Legs" Diamond.

In a sensational opening scene young Billy Phelan, part-time bookie and small-time card-player and gambler, is bowling the string of his life--two strikes away from a perfect score. The unexpected conclusion of the match, and its consequences for his opponent, produce a kind of metaphor for life in this era: Everyone lives on the edge, no one knows when disaster will strike, and there's not much anyone can do about it. Billy, whose father disappeared when he was young, is doing the best he can, "honoring" those he must "honor," helping his mother and sister, and acquiring a local reputation as a "good guy," taking bets and paying off, and not straying far from home.

When one of his acquaintances, Charlie MacCall, the son and nephew of two local pols, is kidnapped, Billy is asked to monitor the activities of one of the men with whom he plays cards, a man suspected of involvement in the kidnapping. Not a "stoolie," Billy faces a crisis of conscience. The reappearance of his father, an alcoholic who "helps" people who can help him, adds to his dilemma, since he counsels cooperation. Martin Daugherty, a newspaper columnist, offers a more mature view while commenting on the political and social aspects of the kidnapping of Charlie MacCall.

Whereas _Legs_ is a fairly straightforward biographical novel, this novel is far more complex. Numerous sets of fathers and sons, all of whom have intergenerational problems, reveal the changing morality of Depression-era Albany. Billy's moral code is more stringent than his father's, Martin Daugherty's son is studying for the priesthood (to his dismay), and the kidnapped Charlie MacCall is isolated from the political machine of his father and uncle. An outstanding novel which has not received its due recognition, this is a carefully crafted novel with well developed themes, dramatic dialogue, and grounding in setting that is rare in modern fiction. n Mary Whipple

My 5 year old read this cover to cover - her 1st ever - and loves it. Getting more "Biscuit" books for her and my 3 year old. Short sentences, fun for the kids, really recommend for new readers.

She borrowed the book from the school librarry and we somehow lost it. The librarian insisted I replace it - hence the order.
Biscuit lives on...

This story is called Biscuit Wants to Play. This is a story about a puppy and two kittens. Biscuit wants to play with the kittens but they want to play with something else. When the kittens are stuck in the tree Biscuit helps them by barking a lot. Finally the girls come out to save the kittens.

The author's purpose is to entertain you when you read the book. The story was very entertaining when I read it. Another author's purpose is to teach the reader that friends are important.

Biscuit wants to play was a very fun and entertaining story. The author did a great job on the story. I would probably read more stories written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli because this story was good.

Biscuit meets a pair of kittens and decides he wants to play with them. But try as he might, the kittens pay no attention to him as they play and explore on their own.

But this changes when the kittens follow a butterfly up a tree and can not get down. Biscuit barks and gets the attention of The Girl In The Purple Sneakers and The Girl With Puddles and the little cats are rescued. We then see them playing with their helpful new friend Biscuit.

Another fine story. This one shows that while you may not always get your own way, things usually work out in the end. Filled with more adorable illustrations.

The book Biscuit Wants to Play is about a puppy named Biscuit and two kittens. Biscuit wants to play with them, but they won't play with him. The kittens always want to play with something else. They run around and get stuck on a tree. Biscuit barks and barks until the girls come out and rescue the kittens from the tree

The author's purpose is to entertain the reader. When I was reading the book I was entertained by what the kittens and Biscuit did. Some parts in the story were funny. Another purpose is that the author taught me
that friend's are important. The author really entertained me I think the story was very cool and entertaining.

I think this author is a good author. I would recommend this story to my friend. I would read more stories from this author Alyssa Satin Capuclli.

I grew up in Castleton Vermont, where this story is set. I never realized that it was so well-known, I always thought it was only a locally known book, but it's a story that's always been dear to my heart. If we could all learn to sing the song of the river, the whole world could be as beautiful as our little town.

This book made me laugh and made me cry. It also did something that very few books have done before, it gave me hope. The book demonstrates how a love of honesty and beauty affect the lives of different people in different ways. It never falters or leaves the reader hanging. The best read in a long time!

I read this book when I was eight and it was one of my favorites--something magical and yet so real about this blue cat and its quest. Yet it was The River's Song that was the most compelling part of the book for me...the need to find one's own song, to create beauty in one's life and work, not directly to seek riches and power. I would credit it as one of the influences in my choosing writing children's books as a career. Over 60 published books later, I am stilll happily trying to sing my own song. Thank you dear spirit of Catherine Coblentz for your gentle guide to living. This book is a treasure for those who find it.

I read this book in 4th grade. The reading level is about 5-7th grade, not for babies or toddlers. The plot of the book is based on a number of items in the Metropolitan Museum of Art which all hale from a town in Vermont called Castleton. One of them is hand-woven carpet with a blue cat depicted on it. Another is a pewter teapot. Around these artifacts and the small amounts of information that could be gleaned on their history, the author has built a charming tale of a blue kitten in search of a home. Since he was born under a blue moon, the kitten can only find a home and a hearth in the house of a human who knows (or can be taught) the River's Song. The River's Song is the Song of Creation, of the making of beautiful things. The kitten encounters many inhabitants of Castletown in his quest and finds them falling under the dark spell of Arunah Hyde, whose whole interest is speed and wealth. The kitten himself nearly falls under the same spell, but escapes at the last minute. His quest seems doomed to fail, however, until he crosses the path of a lonely, ugly girl. This is a book that does not deserve to be out of print. It could easily be used in the classroom as a lesson in early American culture and history, but is also a just a very enjoyable and moving read.

I read this book as a child and still love it at 60. The book speaks about what it means to be an authentic human being through a parable about a special kitten who must find his way in the world on his own and triumphs over loss, disappointment, and exploitation to find self-realization. "'Sing your own song,' said the River, 'sing well.'" It is never too late to sing your own song, if your heart will let you. How the cat learned to do this is worth learning at any age. Now this is how I interpret what goes on in the story in today's vocabulary, not how the author puts it, but my point is the book is just as relevant today as when originally written. The experiences of this cat will hit home with all too many people today, both children and adults. The book is beautifully written by Catherine Coblentz, a lady who by the way spearheaded the establishment of the Cleveland Park branch of the D.C. Library, where there are etched glass drawings from the book. If kids today would buy in to a book like this and Wordsworth's Happy Warrior, they would have a better chance of growing up whole.

Gorgeous photographs! He catches cats doing fairly ordinary cat things against a breath-takingly beautiful backdrop of Greek scenery.

If you love cats, you got to love the photos in this book.

You don't have to be a feline fancier to enjoy the 28 gorgeous photos by Ron Nelson. The cats are, of course, irresistible - a jet black adventurer leaping from a white wall, a covey of the gentle creatures gathered around a blue fence or a black and white watchman perched high atop a pillar looking out to sea.

While the cats are irresistible so are the settings - Santorini and Antiparos. For me, Santorini is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The result of an enormous volcanic explosion thousands of years ago Santorini is now blessed with astounding natural beauty. Three huge cliffs define the island as it slopes down to the gorgeous Mediterranean, and in the island's center is a magnificent lagoon. Needless to say the view from Santorini is spectacular.

I've not had the pleasure of visiting Antiparos however, if Ron Nelson's photos are any indication, it would be an estimable destination. It boasts a picture postcard harbor, wide sandy beaches, and clear sparkling water.

Cats of the Greek Islands is a delight for armchair travelers, animal lovers, and those who enjoy beautiful scenes.

- Gail Cooke

Ron Nelson's camera captures the soft details of some amazing cats living in the Greek Isles. Their fur seems to be especially healthy and their bright eyes seem to speak of happy days laying out in the sun, a life lived outdoors in the fresh air and a content spirit.

Each picture is framed on a white page to bring out the contrast of the white stone walls and sapphire waters glistening in the distance. Some kittens are found sleeping on windowsills outside windows with lace curtains while others find their home in a café or wandering along sun-drenched stone walls with foliage set against a background of mountains and cooling blue waters.

The photography in this book goes beyond capturing moments and has additional elements of artistic excellence.

My husband has always wanted a pure black cat and the one in this book really captured his interest in a variety of pictures including the one where the cat jumps off the wall and where it looks like it is meditating or observing the view. The tiny black-and-white cat will make you laugh as it seems to have found itself atop a large white stone pillar and is quite happy to sleep the day away far from the crowd.

All of the cats look especially well groomed, very pampered and happy to be living in Greece. Blue Cats is one of the most beautiful books on cats I've ever seen due to the additional artistic flair of the photography and the beyond gorgeous settings.

~The Rebecca Review

"Blue Cats" is a new offering from renowned photographer Ron Nelson. Nelson specializes in both human and animal imagery, mostly in Europe, and is one of the best photographers working today. Cats are both photogenic but notoriously difficult to photograph due to their individuality and unpredictability, but here Nelson makes it look easy.

Greece has some of the most stunning architecture, landscapes, and waterscapes in the world, and is also known for a large and gregarious cat population. In this book Nelson captures the natural beauty of Greece and the graceful four-footed inhabitants of the coastal areas. The composition of these photographs is delicate and artistic, yet playful and relaxing. I am especially fond of the photographs depicting cats in motion, especially the two photos (numbers 26 and 27) "Jump Across" and "Shadow of a Jump" taken in Oia, Santorini which are exquisitely composed: the study of lighting and shadow is excellent throughout the book, but peaks with "Shadow of a Jump" in my opinion.

This book is excellent for anyone who loves excellent photography, cats, or travel (especially with pristine water backdrops); it is beautifully conceived and printed, and would look great on any coffee table or in any library. I highly recommend this book, and hope to see more from Ron Nelson in the future.

Ivan Cat's book is a great adventure story which brings a starship's captain onto a planet where the human colonists and alien inhabitants are hopelessly divided without and within.
The author's strength is his ability to tell a story with cinematic clarity, a story bringing together the elements of prophecy, legend, and strife that result in the undertaking of a quest with all participants seeking a common goal despite differing motives. Mr. Cat's ideas are well thought out. His description of "fugue time," for example, a state of being in which subjective time is slowed down to a fraction of real time, is brilliant and entertaining. Mr. Cat's ability to get into the alien mind of the Kafra is utterly convincing, and as well, he exposes with surprising subtlety the infighting between the different factions of the human colonists.
As in all the best sci-fi novels, Mr. Cat deals with complex issues directly related to those in the real world: morality, exploitation of resources, conservation, prejudice.
But the author never gets preachy. The action keeps the plot moving, so much so that for the whole time I was reading this novel, I found myself compulsively reading snatches of it whenever I had a free moment.
This novel is stronger than Mr. Cat's first and is more thought-provoking, but Cat's strength is that he never loses sight of the fact he is telling a story. This book will appeal to anyone who wants a good action-adventure romp but also to those who want a book that engages the intellect. Well worth the money.

Ivan Cat's "The Burning Heart of Night" is a creative mind's play area. The concepts he puts forth are simultaneously very cool and rich with mindbending consequences as the story progresses. This book has the most unique solution to the problem of relativitic travel ever imagined. It has a Living Starship (a seedship) and a Valiant Pilot (Lindal Karr), existing in a unique symbiotic relationship. It has aliens that you'll love and aliens that may disgust you. It has a young (of age, sorta) lady (Jenette Tesla) that you'll dream of and fall in love with. It has a plague that threatens to wipeout the human colony that's barely scrapping out a living on New Ascension. It has joys and sorrows, and moral dilemnas that keep all the 'relationships' vibrant and you reading. It has prose that's second to none. This book is a visionaries own Cinema in words. Though, the story may drag at about the two-thirds point, HOLD ON, getting to the end is mandatory. You'll be shocked and surprised and delighted. The story is a technologically based adventure SF comparable to Niven's Ringworld.

Also recommended: Ringworld by Larry Niven The Eyes of Light and Darkness by Ivan Cat

Ivan Cat's new novel "The Burning Heart of Night" is a masterful exercise in world-building, combining a delightful story, interesting characters, and an exciting plot that kept me page-turning late into the night. While I agree with some other reviewers who pointed out that the conclusion is maybe a little too pat and idealized, this did not detract from the overall fun I had with the book.

This is one of those science fiction works that keeps you thinking about it after the last page is read. What would happen if human "seeding" of colonies, at sub light speeds, became a high priority? Would the pace of human innovation be drastically slowed when it takes decades or centuries to transfer information between colonies? And what would happen if some humans (pilots) spent most of their lives in "fugue" time, spanning thousands of "real" years? What would they be like, and what would happen if they suddenly found themselves having to interact with "normal" people?

And what would happen on a planet like "New Ascension" where unforeseen planet biology forces tough choices on the colonists? How would human society evolve? And how would the colony leaders react? Only towards the end of the novel do we begin to understand why the New Ascension colonists behave the way they do.

I found myself pondering all these questions and more after finishing the book. However, I do not want to leave the impression that this novel is simply an intellectual exercise. There is action and excitement apace. The hero falls in and out of dire straights more often than Indiana Jones. There were a few times when I thought he was toast, and it was only by noting that several hundred pages were left in the book that I could foresee his escape ... and escape he does, in unexpected yet logical ways!

The novel is not flawless. I noted a few lapses of science and logic that slightly mar the overall ambience. Also the dialog is a little clunky in a few places, awkwardness that is not completely explained to me by the circumstances and setting. But these are minor cavils by an anal-retentive perfectionist (me) and detract little from the book. The fact that I read the entire 591 page story in three days (and I am not a particularly fast reader) will attest to that point.

In summary, I would unreservedly recommend this book to science fiction fans, and to anyone else who likes exciting, well plotted books with interesting stories that also provide food for thought.

Ivan Cat bursted on the sf scene a few years ago with the unforgettable and chilling space opera:eyes of light and darkness.Finally after a few years he gives us his second novel.
This one of the most involving and gripping sf adventures I've ever read.Burning heart of Light is story of planet in peril and the unexpected visitor to that planet who becomes the planet's savior. Lindal Karr,a pilot to his living seedship Long Detail battles a deadly saboteur on his ship and must crashland on the beautiful but deadly island planet of New Ascension and sets immense ocean ablaze! New Ascension, a lost colony world harbors a terrifying secret:a horrible virus called The Scourge affects all of the life-forms but especially the human inhabitants who in their fear of dying enslaves the sentient species called Khafra and drained them of their immune venom which saves lives of the humans but it kills the khafra!This horrible process is called the Sacrament.One of the ones who is trying to find a cure to this disease and stop the killing of the Khafra is rebellious daughter of the colony's leader:Jenette Tesla and her faithful khafra servant Arrou. Jennette and Karr must form alliance to stop the war between the Khafras and the humans and seek a cure to Scourge.Cat's world-building skills are incredible as he takes you step by step into this beautiful but terrifying planet as beings both human and nonhuman seek the survival of their species at all costs.This novel asks the question does one species have the right to destroy another for it's on survival.The action sequences in this novel are wonder to behold as Cat describes brutal battle scenes between humans and Khafra and race of mutant and mad khafra on the planet.Characters in this novel are delight like Lindel Karr the aloof pilot who must rely on others to save his ship and maybe his life on hostile planet.Jenette Tesla-the brave young woman torn between helping the Khafras and saving her fellow humans.Tlalok-the warlike khafra who seek to destroy the humans and who has a special hatred toward Karr who killed his mate. Arrou-loyal domesticated Khafra who must help Jenette and Karr even if it means going against his own kind.
Olin Tesla-Jenette's father and leader of the colony who seeks to save the humans but doesn't care how many khafras die in the process!Incredible epic far future sf novel propels to the 47th century and to a world of beauty and danger!

Interstellar Captain Lindal Karr transports humans from Sheldon's World to Evermore when a stowaway claiming to be Lindal's guardian angel Bob begins killing the passengers while they sleep in a fugue state. Lindal who is immune to fugue sleep is helpless to stop Bob who perseveres in a normal state that enables him to live with an incredibly faster metabolism that also makes him seem invisible to Lindal. Bob forces the Long Reach to crash into the ocean of the remote planet of New Ascension.

The colonists on New Ascension struggle with a deadly local microbe. They barely survive a little longer by draining the immunity serum of the native sentient population the Khafra, an action that kills the Khafra. Civil war is imminent with Jenette Tesla, daughter of the human leader, desperately trying to find peace and stop the genocide. Lindal with fugue might be the miracle if the colonists let him live long enough to help, but who to trust among the planetary colonists, the victimized Khafra, or the mysterious angel Bob?

THE BURNING HEART OF NIGHT contains an interesting look at the cost of survival that humans will pay for a few extra years of life. Though Angel Bob is cloaked in mystique, the identity of the being is obvious early on. Lindal understands being different while Jenette represents the good in mankind with her willingness to do what she believes is the right thing. Albeit solutions to extremely complex interspecies issues are overly simplified, science fiction readers will relish this exciting futuristic other world tale.

Harriet Klausner

Cairo Cats is highly professional but down-to-earth, with enchanting images, arresting quotations and an illuminating introduction. It helps us expand our understanding of the world and its creatures. Enough to make a non-cat person like me into a cat lover.

CAIRO CATS are street-smart, hold a fine lineage, and are not to be treated the same way as your typical Western cat: that's the message in the blend of history and pet insights of CAIRO CATS: EGYPT'S ENDURING LEGACY, which uses the backdrop of Cairo to explore the cats through verse and prose alike. Lovely photos display the cats against fine Egyptian scenes while descriptions draw readers in. Perfect for any cat lover who wants something a little different.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

An inspiring book, that captures the true essence of Cairo, one of the world's most incredible cities. The pictures range from amusing, to awe-inspiring to poignant. Cat lovers and anyone with an interest in Egypt will absolutely cherish this one-of-a-kind book.

Poetry by cool cats such as Naomi Shihab Nye and Nizar Qabbani, inscriptions from The Prophecies of Neferti, cat fiqh from Aisha and Imam al-Shafii (is that not delightful?), Persian folk sayings, Turkish proverbs, cat wisdom from Afghanistan, cat notes from Egyptian Nobel Laureate novelist Naguib Mahfouz. Cat calligraphy! "Qitt" with an inky tail!

All arranged amid lush, delightful cat photos: Cat among the Pharoahs, cat goddesses and gods, cat on a Persian rug, cats making careful cat-ablutions, cats on Cairo streetcorners, cat in a coffeeshop, the cat and the copper tray.

What a GEM!

I app-purrrrrr-rove.

Following is a verbatim passage from a recent e-mail message I sent to Cairo Cats mastermind and photographer, Lorraine Chittock. She suggested that I post it on Amazon, which I am happy to do. I actually purchased the earlier edition of Cairo Cats from Amazon, which is quite similar to the new 2006 volume, but not as good, in my opinion. There are some new images in the new edition, the text font and text color are better, and I even think the coloration on the wonderful images is more robust and eye-popping in the new edition. Also, the new edition is printed in Cairo, which adds character and authenticity as far as I'm concerned. The reason I became interested in the Cairo Cats volume was to provide background, reality, and a worldwide viewpoint to a Breed Booth display for a large, well attended international cat show. Our breed, the Somali, claims the North African geographical area and the ancient Egyptian culture as part of its "Creation Mythology". Cairo Cats helps present the Somali legend to the public, and provides context and an enjoyable reference book for the breeders represented by our display.

>These artful, captivating, intriguing images from a distant, exotic
>land will hopefully provide depth and background to our exhibit
>for the 2006 CFA International Show. Your volume illustrates
>a culture with perhaps the world's premier claim to a long and
>sincere Cat Fancy tradition. Both ancient and modern
>manifestations of Egyptian Cat Fancy are beautifully presented.
>Thoughtful readers can meditate on poetic Egyptian quotations
>spanning four millenia. There is much to value and appreciate
>in your Cairo Cats volume, Lorraine. I feel very lucky to be
>able to offer it to a broad audience, some of whom will
>deeply appreciate its rich cross-cultural offering.

This is an old-fashioned book in many ways, yet my very modern 11 year old just loved it -- I bought it sight unseen, and when I got it I was a little afraid that he might find it too young for him, but he absolutely adored it. The vocabulary does not talk down to children, and there are a lot of British words, and some that describe things most modern kids have never seen (a coal skuttle, for instance), so it was challenging enough to keep his attention. The heroine, Rosemary, has a sidekick named John, which I think also helped keep his attention -- like many boys, he likes to read about other boys in preference to girls. Th author brings the story to life slowly and magestically; it is very well written. A good read-aloud, too.

My dad, a teacher at a local polytech, would often bring home castoffs from the school's library in case I found something in them I'd enjoy. Amongst my pile of discovered treasures were illustrated paperbacks of The Wizard of Oz series, an SE Hinton that I found fascinating because it was so 'grown up' for me, and a water-damaged hardcover copy of Carbonel: The King of Cats (which had one page in it bound upside-down).

Because of all the travelling our family did, I've long since lost my childhood collection of books, but I will never forget the Summer evenings I spent imagining myself in the the far away land of Tottenham Grove - arguing with conceited black cats, eating cucumber sandwhiches for lunch, and muttering short but eloquent spells to asuage the bruised ego of a flying broom.

I admired Rosemary's take-charge, independent spirit, blushed at the hint of possible romance between her and John, and for a while, I checked every black cat I encountered for evidence of royalty.

After all these years, I'm excited to know that Carbonel is still in print because I can't wait to introduce this King of Cats to my own children. Very much a predecessor to Harry Potter, I know this story has enough thrills, suspense, fun and, yes, magic to keep even the most sophisticated young readers thoroughly entertained.

This book was one of my favorites growing up. It is an excellent tale of a magic cat and a witch's hat, broom, and cauldron, which 2 children bring together to restore Carbonel's rightful place as King of the Cats. Animal lovers will enjoy this book very much.

My 4th grade teacher read this to us. She made us put our heads on our desk while she read to us, we all felt we were much too old for this book but were instantly drawn in and couldn't wait till she got to the end. I loved this book as a child, and as a parent, and now a grandparent. If your younger child loves Harry Potter, this is a great book, especially for a girl. It has a strong female protagonist and just enough humor, as well as mystery and magic, to keep everyone interested.

This was a favorite book from my childhood. 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.

Authored and illustrated by Palo Morgan, Cat Balloon is the picturebook tale of a young and ambitious kitty. Following the adventurous of a determined kitty through his persistent desire to fly, Cat Balloon thoroughly engages its young readers ages 3 and older as they discover Cat Balloon's undaunted spirit and aspiration as, eventually, he does find himself afloat the air on his way to the moon. An excellent addition to school and community library picturebook collections, Cat Balloon is strongly recommended for all beginning readers and parents searching for an inventive, entertaining and colorful story with the underlying theme of wholeheartedly pursuing a personal goal.

Our oldest and youngest (separated by ten years) both loved this book as toddlers and it retains it's charm for the adults reading it. It is a current favourite of the youngest, and gets read at least daily and I never get sick of it.

This book is a wonderful and fun read for all. My four year old has it memorized already and we've only had it a week. The text and animations are fun, colorful and leads your imagination on a wonderful journey with Cat Ballon. The CD for this book is wonderful as well with songs written for the stage adaptation.

"Far,Far Away where the sea meets the sky In a Land of Dreams where no-one asks why 10,000 cats laze about under trees drinking moonbeam milk and sweet honey tea"

So begins one the most delighful Childrens stories available, the hero,Cat Balloon,is short,slightly over weight and looks nothing at all like the proud jungle cats that he shares his home with, and besides Cat Balloon wants to fulfill just one dream: To fly amongst the stars, and as even though

"cat ballon tried all the obvious things like flapping his arms as if they were wings"

His success is limited for as "everyone knows cats can't fly" until one day Cat Balloon sets sails to seek the secret that has eluded him

This is a delighful choice for children of all ages,with outstandingly beautiful richly coloured illustrations, the rhyming verse is well though out and our three year has no problem in being able to "guess" the lines following

Palo Morgan has produced a book that is both richly comic, beautifully illustrated and sits well upon any childrens shelf as a book to both treasure and read many times over

"Far,Far Away where the sea meets the sky In a Land of Dreams where no-one asks why 10,000 cats laze about under trees drinking moonbeam milk and sweet honey tea"

So begins one the most delighful Childrens stories available, the hero,Cat Balloon,is short,slightly over weight and looks nothing at all like the proud jungle cats that he shares his home with, and besides Cat Balloon wants to fulfill just one dream: To fly amongst the stars, and as even though

"cat ballon tried all the obvious things like flapping his arms as if they were wings"

His success is limited for as "everyone knows cats can't fly" until one day Cat Balloon sets sails to seek the secret that has eluded him

This is a delighful choice for children of all ages,with outstandingly beautiful richly coloured illustrations, the rhyming verse is well though out and our three year has no problem in being able to "guess" the lines following

Palo Morgan has produced a book that is both richly comic, beautifully illustrated and sits well upon any childrens shelf as a book to both treasure and read many times over

I bought these as a gag gift fo a friend and she loved them! The best part is the price is so low, that even if people don't like them you are only out a little bit. Honestly, the look on peoples faces is worth far more than these cost. Highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor!

I just received this as a gift today from my older brother. I laughed so hard when I opened the package at work that everyone had to come and see what was so funny. What a fantastically funny gift for the cat-lover in your life.

I will have to get a few more of these to send out myself!

This product is hillarious to anyone who loves cats! A touch on the more vulgar side, but very funny nonetheless. Cheap way to get a laugh when you give a gift!

This is a great "anytime" gift to just let someone know you are thinking about them, and in this case a sibling living in another state who loves cats. It might also be a good prank for someone who did not like cats and frequently makes comments to that effect, but I haven't tested that approach. They definitely work if you want to "make" someone's day.

My whole family loves cats and I got each of them one of these Cat Butts items and they loved it! The field guide tells you exactly how cats..and their butts...are. I chuckle every time I see those magnets on my refrigerator too!