A Castle Full of Cats by Ruth Sanderson

A Castle Full of Cats by Ruth Sanderson. Random House, 2015. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8  

Once upon a time a king and a queen lived in a castle filled with cats.  And while the queen loved her cats, the king was not a cat person.  The cats, as cats are so good at doing, recognized this and set off to win the king’s good graces.

They did their best to please him in oh-so-clever ways,
and left him charming little gifts to brighten up his days.

Anyone knowing cats will appreciate this absolute cat behavior —but the king does not as his repulsed expression indicates when the cats share their mice with him. While the queen is Marie Antoinette-esque both in her style and in her oblivion to her husband’s travails, the king conveys more feeling.  It is the cats—of course—who steal the show!

At the end of this sweet tale told in verse, a surprising solution leaves everyone quite happy and ready to live happily ever after.

Cautions: none

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview Rating: 3
• Artistic Rating: 4

Categories: Picture Books, Read Alouds, Poetry, Animals 
Cover image from Amazon