Book Review: Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats by Kimberlie Hamilton and numerous illustrators

Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats

by Kimberlie Hamilton and numerous illustrators (j636.8 Ham)

 

I’ll have to admit, right off, that I’m not a “cat person” — I grew up with dogs as pets, and am actually allergic to cats. But, I still like cats, even if I can’t have them as a regular part of my life. So, when I saw this charmingly illustrated guide to 30 “courageous cats”, I was intrigued enough to give it a try. Even though it’s aimed at a juvenile readership, I still enjoyed this one quite a lot.

 

Author Hamilton, with the able assistance of 17 different illustrators, shares the tales of 30 different cats who’ve been significant in one way or another — each entry has a single page of descriptive text and a full-page illustration of the cat in question. And then, to fill in between the primary stories, Hamilton has multiple thematic sections in which she shares fascinating historical tidbits, and highlights other noteworthy cats (who didn’t quite get their own full profiles. There’s a terrific bibliography of additional reads, and a glossary of terms that younger readers may not be familiar with. At the back, there’s also a guide to all the illustrators.

A fun read and I feel more educated on feline history after finishing it. Kids will enjoy the colorful illustrations!

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen, Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron, Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa, or The Cat Who Came For Christmas by Cleveland Amory — all of which are referenced in Fearless Felines.)

 

( official Kimberlie Hamilton web site )

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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