Anton and Cecil, Book 1: Cats at Sea - Hardcover

Lisa Martin; Valerie Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1616202467 ISBN 13: 9781616202460

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013

Synopsis

A swashbuckling story of two very different cat brothers and their adventures at sea.

Cecil and Anton are as different as port and starboard. Cecil, stocky and black with white patches, thirsts for seafaring adventure as he roams the docks of his harborside home, taking day trips on fishing boats when the chance comes along. Slim, gray Anton prefers listening to the sailors’ shanties at the town saloon. But one day when Anton goes to port, he’s taken to be a ratter on a ship bound for the high seas.

Knowing little of the wide open ocean that lies beyond the harbor, Cecil boards another ship in hopes of finding Anton. But what begins as a rescue mission turns into a pair of high-seas adventures.

Anton takes on a fierce rat, outwits hungry birds, and forges a forbidden friendship, while Cecil encounters dolphins and whales and finds himself in the middle of a pirate raid. On an ocean as vast as the one Anton and Cecil have discovered, will they ever see home―or each other―again?

Orange Prize–winning author Valerie Martin and Lisa Martin present a colorful cast of characters, rich historical detail, and lyrical storytelling that will delight fans of such classic animal adventures as The Wind in the Willows, Stuart Little, and Poppy.

About this title

About the Author

Orange Prize-winner Valerie Martin is the author of eight acclaimed adult novels, including Property and The Confessions of Edward Day. She lives in Millbrook, New York.
Valerie Martin’s niece, Lisa Martin, has worked as an educator and children's poet and currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Orange Prize-winner Valerie Martin is the author of eight acclaimed adult novels, including Property and The Confessions of Edward Day. She lives in Millbrook, New York.
Valerie Martin’s niece, Lisa Martin, has worked as an educator and children's poet and currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

Reviews

Gr 4-6–Two cat brothers who live on a busy dock couldn't be more different. Anton is thoughtful, cautious, and content with his life, particularly when he is able to listen to the music of sailors in the local taverns. Cecil is impulsive, curious, and keen to have an adventure aboard one of the many ships that sail in and out of the port every day. All the local cats live under the threat of being impressed to hunt rats and mice. Many who are seized are never seen again. So when Anton is snatched and taken aboard a huge ship, Cecil boards another vessel in order to find him and bring him home. Separated on a vast ocean, the brothers have adventures beyond their wildest dreams as they seek to be reunited with the help of a mysterious cat eye in the sky. The story is well paced with descriptive language that firmly places readers in the midst of dangerous storms, sea battles, and islands full of strange animals. The legend of the eye that watches over cats at sea adds an interesting supernatural element, though a scene in which all of the humans on one of the ships vanish will have readers scratching their heads in confusion. Nevertheless, children who like animal fantasies such as Avi's Poppy (Scholastic, 1995) will find much to enjoy here.–Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, ILα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Brother cats Anton and Cecil, along with their friend Gretchen, each encounter unexpected adventures when they leave their home on the eighteenth-century Lunenburg waterfront and board separate ocean-bound ships. ­Adventurous Cecil first boards a fishing boat and then, when Anton is catnapped to serve as a ratter aboard a schooner, stows away on a clipper to pursue his brother. Gretchen, too, is taken unwillingly and finds herself aboard a pirate ship. Eloquent and accessible, this well-paced story moves from cat-perspective to cat-perspective as the three eventually meet again and find their way home to safety. The strong, distinct personalities of cats, people, and a handful of other creatures make this a delightful tale, even for readers who aren’t cat lovers, and Murphy’s occasional black-and-white illustrations are a pleasant complement to the story. In addition to being an excellent choice for read-alouds, the Martins’ vivid descriptions of seafaring life—catcentric wisdom aside—may invite further exploration into maritime tales and history. Grades 3-7. --Francisca Goldsmith

Edition details

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1616202467
• ISBN 13: 9781616202460
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256