Kitty Goes to Sea

The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs

By Cylin Busby

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Lexile Measure: 1020 (What's this?)

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (February 2, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0553511238

ISBN-13: 978-0553511239

 

Publisher’s Blurb:

Captain Natick does not want to take a kitten on board his ship when it sets sail in 1837, but his daughter convinces him that the scrawny yellow cat will bring good luck. Onto the ship the kitten goes, and so begins the adventurous, cliff-hanging, lucky life of Jacob Tibbs. At first, Jacob’s entire world is the ship’s hold, where the sailors heave their heavy loads and long-tailed rats scurry in the darkness. But before long, Jacob’s voyage takes him above deck and onward to adventure. Along the way, Jacob will encounter loss and despair, brave thunderous storms at sea, face down a mutiny, survive on a desert island, and above all, navigate the tricky waters of shipboard life and loyalties.

 

My Thoughts:

The general tone of this book reminded me a great deal of Black Beauty, which I first read over 40 years ago. The story is told by the cat himself, in the first person. The cat has great understanding of human things, including reading text—just suspend your disbelief. The author must be a cat person; her descriptions of cat behavior are very real.

 

The story itself is all right. While there are some exciting moments, there is nothing to carry the reader away. Overall editing is good, with a few minor hiccups. The characterization is probably the best part of this story, from Jacob to Captain Natick, the feelings and personalities are real.

 

Overall, a pleasant read, but nothing that says “I’ve gotta read this again.”

 

Possible Objectionable Material:

Violent storms, killing rats. Some characters are castaways on an island for a while and must make do in primitive conditions.

 

Who Might Like This Book:

Those who like cats, sailing ships, and historical settings. Boys or girls. (Actually, there are only two female characters, neither of whom is in the book for very long, plus a couple of wives that we meet at the very end.)

 

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.