Castle of the Cats - Hardcover

Eric A. Kimmel is a well-known folklorist and the author of numerous books for children, including Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, a Caldecott Honor Book illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, and The Rooster's Antlers: A Story of the Chinese Zodiac, illustrated by YongSheng Xuan. He lives in Oregon.

Kindergarten-Grade 4–A father sets his three sons three tasks to determine which one should inherit the family farm: to bring back "the most beautiful wedding kerchief," wedding dress, and bride. The youngest brother, Ivan, would prefer to play with his leather ball, but he is encouraged to at least try. Each time, the family horse takes him to a magnificent palace populated entirely by elegantly attired cats. The felines are enamored of the gifts he presents–first the leather ball, then some catnip leaves, and finally a wooden ring that he offers to their queen. Ivan always receives a present in return, including the queen herself in human form as a bride, enabling him to trump his brothers and win the farm. Ivan prefers an alternative "happily ever after," however, and returns instead to the castle with his feline bride and becomes a cat. A note explains that although the tale is Latvian, the author and illustrator have moved the setting to the Ukraine, as evidenced both by the flavor of the language and specifics in the artwork. Kimmel has a true storyteller's voice and keeps the action moving at an energetic pace without sacrificing images or details. Krenina's watercolor and mixed-media paintings match the text's energy, and her palette of pinks and jewel-bright rubies add elegance. Like the collaborators'The Magic Dreidels (1996) and The Birds' Gift (1999, both Holiday), this offering is a winner.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
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