Book Review: Space Cat by Ruthven Todd

Space Cat
by Ruthven Todd [currently available from the libraries only as a Hoopla eBook]

“The Moon is only the start,
Says Flyball the Flier
Oh, no one ever can guess
How far we can fly!”

Flyball is a stowaway kitten who by pluck and luck gets to travel to the moon in this first in a series of four books featuring the spacely adventures of a cat and his rocketeer.

Clever Flyball and Captain Fred have a lot of adventures, including convincing Fred’s superiors to allow a cat in the rocket, exploring the moon, and meeting aliens.

The original 1950s illustrations by Paul Galdone are charming and the “futuristic” take on space travel is endearing.

But that leads me to a warning: If your personal space cadet is more into reality than fiction, they might find this book perturbing. In that case, this story could be a starting point for an interesting discussion about “what they got wrong” and how much more we know about the moon and space travel than they did in 1952. For example, I’d love to travel back in time and ask my five year old son if he thinks a hammock would be an appropriate way to travel in a rocket. I think he’d have some definite ideas on the topic.

Space Cat is an easy read chapter book that most children will enjoy (Cats! Space!), and a nostalgia trip for adults. I believe this imaginative adventure would be perfect to share as a read-aloud bedtime story.

I give the book 10 stars because I love books with resourceful heroes that also happen to be cats.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try any of the other Space Cat series, by Ruthven Todd, or Anatole, Anatole Over Paris or Anatole and the Cat, all by Eve Titus, about another resourceful hero, this time Anatole the mouse.]

[ publisher’s official page for the latest edition of Space Cat ] | [ Wikipedia page for Ruthven Todd ]

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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