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A Castle Full of Cats
The queen’s cats have taken over the palace, and the king has had enough! Beloved artist Ruth Sanderson brings her signature detailed and lush style to this humorous story of royal compromise. Told in rhyme, and with dozens of cats on each page, this gorgeous book is sure to have cat lovers of all ages purring!
40 pages, Library Binding
First published January 27, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 12, 2017
I want one--a castle to hold all my cats! How I envy that princess! Perceptive readers will note from the illustrations (hint: paintings on the walls in certain pictures) why the king isn't so fond of all those cats. I loved counting the number of cats in every picture. (There were never less than 7, and often over 20.) In the brief thank you that Sanderson makes after the verso she indicates that she solicited photos of real cats owned by her friends to draw all the various felines in the book. I've always loved Sanderson's artwork, and the pictures in this book lend both charm and humor to the rhyming text. Highly recommended, especially to cat lovers!
May 7, 2025
One can simply never have too many cats… unless you don’t happen to like cats, that is.
That’s the conundrum the king is having at the moment. The queen can’t get enough of her beloved cats. He, however, has had quite enough. From begging for food on the royal dining room table to ruining the prized china; from scratching the royal wallpaper to bringing presents of the most unpleasant type, the king is needless to say not the cat’s number one fan. Will the queen be able to change the king’s opinion about her favorite furry friends? Will the king ever be accepting?
This was just the best. Being a cat lover myself, this was the perfect ode to a love of cats I’ve seen. I’ve always loved Ruth Sanderson’s gorgeous illustrations (her version of Cinderella was particularly enchanting), and this story was no exception. Taking place in what is probably 1700s-1800s France, she perfectly captured the fashion, style, and elegance of the time period. The hilarious and realistic expressions on the humans as well as the cats added a certain charm to the story.
All in all, this is a perfect story for cat lovers young and old about all the mischief and joy cats can bring into our lives.
That’s the conundrum the king is having at the moment. The queen can’t get enough of her beloved cats. He, however, has had quite enough. From begging for food on the royal dining room table to ruining the prized china; from scratching the royal wallpaper to bringing presents of the most unpleasant type, the king is needless to say not the cat’s number one fan. Will the queen be able to change the king’s opinion about her favorite furry friends? Will the king ever be accepting?
This was just the best. Being a cat lover myself, this was the perfect ode to a love of cats I’ve seen. I’ve always loved Ruth Sanderson’s gorgeous illustrations (her version of Cinderella was particularly enchanting), and this story was no exception. Taking place in what is probably 1700s-1800s France, she perfectly captured the fashion, style, and elegance of the time period. The hilarious and realistic expressions on the humans as well as the cats added a certain charm to the story.
All in all, this is a perfect story for cat lovers young and old about all the mischief and joy cats can bring into our lives.
April 8, 2015
When I was a kid, my mom bought us lots of fairy tales illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, so when I saw that her new book was full of cats ... well, how could I refuse?
This book, about a queen whose cats are taking over the castle, is delightful on every page -- and even more so if you read it with someone else who can point out what various cats are doing along with you. The book is also somewhat subversive, as it turns the "crazy cat lady" stereotype totally on its head. In this book, the cat lady is not an eccentric lone woman, but a beautiful and wealthy queen. She is married to a man who loves her but has some impatience with the cats, but they find a way to make their living arrangement work for everyone in the end. A wonderful book celebrating eccentricity, love, and, of course, cats!
This book, about a queen whose cats are taking over the castle, is delightful on every page -- and even more so if you read it with someone else who can point out what various cats are doing along with you. The book is also somewhat subversive, as it turns the "crazy cat lady" stereotype totally on its head. In this book, the cat lady is not an eccentric lone woman, but a beautiful and wealthy queen. She is married to a man who loves her but has some impatience with the cats, but they find a way to make their living arrangement work for everyone in the end. A wonderful book celebrating eccentricity, love, and, of course, cats!
March 2, 2015
A million stars! Historical fiction + cats!
The illustrations of the palace's rooms are lovely and each cat has a distinct look and attitude. The story is fun to read and charming.
The illustrations of the palace's rooms are lovely and each cat has a distinct look and attitude. The story is fun to read and charming.
April 20, 2015
So the Queen has filled their castle with cats and the King isn't too thrilled about the situation. The cats attempt to show the King how much they love him with gifts (like a dead mouse in his shoe) and personalized artwork (scratches on the walls in the shape of a cat), but the King is not easily won over. Then the King takes matters into this own hands and brings home a dog. A big horse of a dog, too; it looked like a boarhound or mastiff. And, as per usual, the cats interpret the dog as a gift from the King to show how much he does in fact love the cats.
Loved it from start to finish!!! This was my first Sanderson and I plan to read more of her books at my earliest opportunity.
5 stars (and added to my buy list)
EDITED: Correction. This was NOT my first Sanderson. After reading through her 1975-1983 page I discovered that she illustrated The Store-Bought Doll, one of my favorite books when I was a little girl. How cool is that?!! I love re-discovering childhood loves in my adult years. I still have my original copy too, which I read to my daughter when she was little. It's now saved in my daughter's "special stuff" box to read to / gift to her kid(s) someday.
Loved it from start to finish!!! This was my first Sanderson and I plan to read more of her books at my earliest opportunity.
5 stars (and added to my buy list)
EDITED: Correction. This was NOT my first Sanderson. After reading through her 1975-1983 page I discovered that she illustrated The Store-Bought Doll, one of my favorite books when I was a little girl. How cool is that?!! I love re-discovering childhood loves in my adult years. I still have my original copy too, which I read to my daughter when she was little. It's now saved in my daughter's "special stuff" box to read to / gift to her kid(s) someday.
February 11, 2017
Great illustrations and a simple text make this children’s story delightful. The cats have taken center stage of the castle and the King is not too pleased. The cats are loved by the Queen and they want the King to feel the same way towards them but no matter what they do, he is not amused. The cats are only doing what they know best to earn his affection as they put mice in his shoes (leaving him little gifts), tripping him as he walks (playing games with him), and tearing apart his books and papers (they also loved reading) and these are just some of the ways the cats try to show the King how lovely they are but their actions do not make him happy. The cats do not give up though and they are relentless in their antics to please the King and win his heart. The King has had enough! Frustrated the King leaves the castle, telling his Queen that he can’t take it any longer. When he returns, the King is not alone. This King is one wise ruler. The illustrations are lively and the cats were artistically done. I loved the varieties of cats and the characters in the novel. The facial expressions were wonderful and the colors used for the illustration helped to showcase the historical aspect of the novel.
January 12, 2018
If you love cats you will love this book. Only a castle would have room for this many cats!
May 8, 2022
Read this for the king and the king’s expression only ahahahaha. The story’s quite entertaining, not to mention the illustrations.
P.s. there are sooooo many cats.
P.s. there are sooooo many cats.
September 27, 2017
Why did I give this book only 4 stars? Because I personally like cats over dogs. :)
July 2, 2019
A. me as a Queen 🐈👑🏰
B. you gotta throw the whole King away 🚮
C. ...and they lived happily ever after!
B. you gotta throw the whole King away 🚮
C. ...and they lived happily ever after!
June 9, 2015
Book #74 Read in 2015
A Castle Full of Cats by Ruth Sanderson (children's book)
This is a beautifully illustrated, rhyming verse children's book. A queen has a castle full of cats and the king has had enough. His castle and life are overrun by cats. What is a man to do? Cat lovers young and old will like this book. I borrowed this book from my public library.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
A Castle Full of Cats by Ruth Sanderson (children's book)
This is a beautifully illustrated, rhyming verse children's book. A queen has a castle full of cats and the king has had enough. His castle and life are overrun by cats. What is a man to do? Cat lovers young and old will like this book. I borrowed this book from my public library.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
December 17, 2015
My grandson fell completely in love with this gorgeously illustrated picture book. He particularly appreciated the cats leaving mice in the King's fancy shoes. And the little framed pictures of all the cats on the inside cover became an endless game for him trying to name them all...Gingerbread, Mr. Whiskers, Moonglow, Mittens, Patches...This book was so much fun for him!
December 14, 2016
Adorable. If you're just irritated by the antics of cats you should read this book and maybe you'll gain insight into their perspective. If you love cats you should read this book to enjoy these cats!
January 28, 2015
For all those cat hoarders out there.... No, they already have too many ideas. And cats. I found my sympathy to be with the king, who clearly was not in charge of his own castle.
February 5, 2015
Loved all the kitties drawn in this book.
March 1, 2018
An excuse to draw 18th c. French royalty, pompadour and all. And of course to draw lots and lots of lively cats. The rhyme is fine, but the story is, imo, kinda stupid. Sorry.
May 7, 2015
Great artwork, cute story and easy to read aloud without being too simple.
January 23, 2024
So much fun. I love the illustrations. Sanderson captures the cats' personalities perfectly, but also does such a fine job with the human expressions, too. So humorous, yet so beautifully portrayed with all the period detail. Do take time to study all the details. For example, Though the antics are perhaps a bit overboard at times, I found it in good fun. The ending is super adorable and I love that there is a loving compromise made. As someone who loves both cats and dogs, this book really made me smile.
August 26, 2019
Love, love, love! This book basically illustrates my idea of a perfect life...a castle filled with kittens (and books!). Such a cute and fun book about a queen who loves and has many cats, and the king who is quite put out by all the felines. The cats’ attempts to win the king over are quite humorous and adorable. The illustrations are beautiful and I loved spending time on each page looking closely at each cat and kitten.
June 18, 2020
Um, so, I wasn't supposed to borrow any of Sanderson's original stories, but this one I had to grab from the shelf because it's about a castle full of cats. Catscatscats. I had fun exploring the detailed paintings and laughing at all the oh-so-true mild annoyances and delights related to cats. Let's face it: these pages describe my absolute dream life.
December 13, 2019
This book is perfect!!! So many cats, such beautiful illustrations of palace furnishings and gowns, I just loved it. I want to buy my own copy. I feel like I could read it 10 times and still find some new detail I didn't appreciate before.
February 3, 2026
A queen has many beloved cats but they aren't exactly what the king wants for himself. Wonderfully detailed illustrations feature dozens of kitties with vibrant personalities, and the king's personal choice. Satisfying rhymes with good meter too!
July 13, 2017
A queen loves her cats but the king is not so sure. can the cats convince him to love them too? Fast and fun paced. a little long for toddlers but I think the pace will make it okay
June 25, 2018
This one gave me a good chuckle. I appreciated the detailed pictures.
September 25, 2018
Good for a kid who loves cats.
March 10, 2019
Super cute! Especially for cat people. Lovely illustrations!
September 10, 2019
Adorable!
January 13, 2020
Great for all cat lovers
February 18, 2021
I loved it because there was so many cats! And the king did love them even though he acts like he doesn’t.
November 7, 2021
3.5. Lovely illustrations. Cute story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews