What do you think?
The Paka Mdogo #3
The Meerkat Wars
It's all very well helping a young meerkat who's been poisoned by a scorpion; but when you've made friends with the whole Duwara tribe of meerkats, and you discover that they're at war with the Utongo, you may find yourself involved in that too, even if you're only a little black-and-white cat. And when you realize that the two tribes are fighting because each one believes it lives under The One True Sun, then you may have to undertake a very dangerous journey to help them see things differently. You may have to go through The Gorge.
- GenresFiction
259 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
H.S. Toshack
17 books8 followersH. S. Toshack has lived and worked as an English teacher and educational consultant in the UK, the Caribbean, Africa, Thailand and the Middle East. He now lives and writes in Portugal.
His first three 'Paka Mdogo' stories are set in Africa, but they are coloured by his experience of people, animals and lives lived in all of those other places.
Second editions of the books (with some narrative revisions to make them an even more compelling read) are newly published on Amazon, together with a first edition of 'The Smile of the Tiger', set in Thailand.
"Sheena led me through all four books. It was as if she was telling her stories through me. That's why I've put her portrait on my Amazon profile page: she's my co-author.
"My favourite in the series? Probably the first one, 'Paka Mdogo – Little Cat', since it took me so fully back to Africa in my imagination; but I have to say that 'The Meerkat Wars' is the most important, since it explores in very dramatic fashion the issue of conflict, and offers young readers reassurance in our troubled times that divisiveness can be resisted and harmony achieved through listening, talking and honest thinking."
'The Smile of the Tiger' is dedicated to "all animals (and people) who are in places they do not want to be", and tells a rather different story from the African books; but the indomitable Sheena, with her ability to make friends and her skill in helping them, and her open and inquiring mind, is a constant.
The following is a link to a selection of reviews of the African stories, some by young readers: http://www.litworks.com/downloads/rev....
The first four in a series of poems and photographs reflecting some of H.S. Toshack's travels (in Africa, Portugal, Thailand and Peru) - 'Poems and Places' - are newly published on Amazon.
The poems in all four collections are a mix of the mildly philosophical, the lightly satirical, the humorous and the whimsical. Some are more sombre. Taken together, the collections provide an opportunity for travellers and poetry-lovers alike to share one man's experiences in some very different parts of the world, and his varied and very human reactions to what he found there.
H.S. Toshack is also the principal author of 'The WordSmith Guides', designed to help senior secondary students prepare for external exams across a range of assessment systems. Here's link to a page of comments on the online editions of those resources: https://www.litworks.com/commendation....
The Shakespeare commentaries are now available in paperback: put H.S. Toshack in an Amazon Search Box.
He has produced, with Sonia Orwell’s permission, a dramatised version of Animal Farm, for use in schools. It has been successfully performed over the coourse of a whole week,, but is yet to be published. (“I take no great credit for that work – it was really just a rewarding ‘cut and paste’ process from a powerful story with increasing importance in today’s troubled times.”)
“Which genre brings you most satisfaction as a writer?” we asked this versatile author.
“The one that allows me to help open young and not so young minds to new ways of thinking – about life as well as literature. But I guess that’s all four.”
His first three 'Paka Mdogo' stories are set in Africa, but they are coloured by his experience of people, animals and lives lived in all of those other places.
Second editions of the books (with some narrative revisions to make them an even more compelling read) are newly published on Amazon, together with a first edition of 'The Smile of the Tiger', set in Thailand.
"Sheena led me through all four books. It was as if she was telling her stories through me. That's why I've put her portrait on my Amazon profile page: she's my co-author.
"My favourite in the series? Probably the first one, 'Paka Mdogo – Little Cat', since it took me so fully back to Africa in my imagination; but I have to say that 'The Meerkat Wars' is the most important, since it explores in very dramatic fashion the issue of conflict, and offers young readers reassurance in our troubled times that divisiveness can be resisted and harmony achieved through listening, talking and honest thinking."
'The Smile of the Tiger' is dedicated to "all animals (and people) who are in places they do not want to be", and tells a rather different story from the African books; but the indomitable Sheena, with her ability to make friends and her skill in helping them, and her open and inquiring mind, is a constant.
The following is a link to a selection of reviews of the African stories, some by young readers: http://www.litworks.com/downloads/rev....
The first four in a series of poems and photographs reflecting some of H.S. Toshack's travels (in Africa, Portugal, Thailand and Peru) - 'Poems and Places' - are newly published on Amazon.
The poems in all four collections are a mix of the mildly philosophical, the lightly satirical, the humorous and the whimsical. Some are more sombre. Taken together, the collections provide an opportunity for travellers and poetry-lovers alike to share one man's experiences in some very different parts of the world, and his varied and very human reactions to what he found there.
H.S. Toshack is also the principal author of 'The WordSmith Guides', designed to help senior secondary students prepare for external exams across a range of assessment systems. Here's link to a page of comments on the online editions of those resources: https://www.litworks.com/commendation....
The Shakespeare commentaries are now available in paperback: put H.S. Toshack in an Amazon Search Box.
He has produced, with Sonia Orwell’s permission, a dramatised version of Animal Farm, for use in schools. It has been successfully performed over the coourse of a whole week,, but is yet to be published. (“I take no great credit for that work – it was really just a rewarding ‘cut and paste’ process from a powerful story with increasing importance in today’s troubled times.”)
“Which genre brings you most satisfaction as a writer?” we asked this versatile author.
“The one that allows me to help open young and not so young minds to new ways of thinking – about life as well as literature. But I guess that’s all four.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 20, 2018
If you are the kind of animal lover that revels in the antics of the smaller creatures on our planet and that chooses to look beyond the attention-grabbing Big Five of the African continent, then you just might be the ideal audience for The Meerkat Wars by H.S. Toshack. This inspiring tale of how a cat helps a clan of meerkats to fend off an invading clan that wishes to take over its territory makes for a heart-pounding and insightful read, not only teaching youngsters (and those of an older generation who still are blessed with the ability to savor such writing) of the habits of these relatively small inhabitants of the African plains, but also encouraging them to empathize with others who may, in appearance at least, seem to be significantly different to themselves, especially at first sight.
The characters that comprise the cast of this tale all come to life under Toshack’s thoughtful and perceptive penmanship. Even if a child has never before heard of the strange breed of mongoose that also bears the name ‘suricate,’ they are bound to warm to the author’s lively descriptions of this apparently sun-worshipping breed of small mammal that spends so much of its life underground. By starting from familiar territory, with a cat that, unbeknownst to its owners, stows away on board their Land Rover when they go on safari in the Baragandiri National Park, and who gets lost almost as soon as she arrives in the Park, Toshack cleverly elicits the sympathy of his audience, many of whom most probably have cats as pets, or who have relatives or friends who do. Sheena, despite being the pivotal figure in the story, in her position as a link between the two warring clans, provides an understandable and empathetic connection between the familiar and the unknown on more than one level. Meerkats, on her first encountering them, are as strange to her as they are likely to be for any human who has not yet been exposed to the wonderful range of creatures that there are to encounter in the African bush.
Although Toshack is, at times, inclined to indulge in a fair measure of anthropomorphism, he conveys with ease insights into not only the way of life of meerkats, but also into that of other animals that Sheena encounters in her adventures, such as porcupines and honey badgers. It comes as no surprise, then, to find that Toshack has both lived and worked in Africa, nor that he is a retired English teacher and educational consultant. Indeed, he takes great enjoyment in playing around with the English language, such as when Sheena first thinks porcupines are called ‘porcuspines’ and has to be corrected in her language usage. Toshack’s great sense of humor adds an extra bite to the ease and flow of his writing, which is complemented by numerous fine drawings by Nelson McAlister.
If you and your children become as enamored with Toshack’s and Sheena’s (she is accredited with coauthor status) story as many others have been, don’t fret when you come to the end of this marvelous semi-allegorical tale–there are two others that you should also feel drawn to read: Paka Mdogo and The Gradual Elephant.
The characters that comprise the cast of this tale all come to life under Toshack’s thoughtful and perceptive penmanship. Even if a child has never before heard of the strange breed of mongoose that also bears the name ‘suricate,’ they are bound to warm to the author’s lively descriptions of this apparently sun-worshipping breed of small mammal that spends so much of its life underground. By starting from familiar territory, with a cat that, unbeknownst to its owners, stows away on board their Land Rover when they go on safari in the Baragandiri National Park, and who gets lost almost as soon as she arrives in the Park, Toshack cleverly elicits the sympathy of his audience, many of whom most probably have cats as pets, or who have relatives or friends who do. Sheena, despite being the pivotal figure in the story, in her position as a link between the two warring clans, provides an understandable and empathetic connection between the familiar and the unknown on more than one level. Meerkats, on her first encountering them, are as strange to her as they are likely to be for any human who has not yet been exposed to the wonderful range of creatures that there are to encounter in the African bush.
Although Toshack is, at times, inclined to indulge in a fair measure of anthropomorphism, he conveys with ease insights into not only the way of life of meerkats, but also into that of other animals that Sheena encounters in her adventures, such as porcupines and honey badgers. It comes as no surprise, then, to find that Toshack has both lived and worked in Africa, nor that he is a retired English teacher and educational consultant. Indeed, he takes great enjoyment in playing around with the English language, such as when Sheena first thinks porcupines are called ‘porcuspines’ and has to be corrected in her language usage. Toshack’s great sense of humor adds an extra bite to the ease and flow of his writing, which is complemented by numerous fine drawings by Nelson McAlister.
If you and your children become as enamored with Toshack’s and Sheena’s (she is accredited with coauthor status) story as many others have been, don’t fret when you come to the end of this marvelous semi-allegorical tale–there are two others that you should also feel drawn to read: Paka Mdogo and The Gradual Elephant.
May 5, 2017
This is a children's book, but I found it entertaining and interesting. This is apparently the third novel featuring the curious black and white cat, Sheena, who is in Africa with her human family. Off exploring, she winds up in meerkat colony and learns of their bitter feud with a neighboring meerkat colony who worship a different sun. Sheena is a problem-solver and a take-charge kind of cat, whose fearlessness leads her into danger fairly often. I learned a lot about meerkats, as did Sheena, and her adventure was both engaging and thought-provoking.
December 26, 2011
First Sentence:
"She was already thirsty."
In my experience, books with animals as the protagonist can be a little hit and miss, so I was nervous to accept The Meerkat Wars for review. I ended up worrying pretty much for nothing because this was a delightful read full of adventure and a very likable character.
The Meerkat Wars was a fun, yet action packed book about one little cat (Sheena) and her adventure with the Duwara and Utongo meerkat tribes in the Baragandiri National Park.
I really was not expecting this book to have a lot of action and adventure, or scenes that left me wondering if Sheena was going to survive long enough to make it back to her family. So I was pleasantly surprised while reading that all of those elements were there, and there in abundance. While the sense of adventure with a dash of danger was strong in this book, I thought that the author did a very nice job of writing the scenes-mainly because he had me completely worried about the fate of the main character for the majority of the book.
Sheena, was definitely one interesting character. What I liked best about her was that she was always scheming and making plans that would supposedly help those who she had befriended. Sometimes they and other times her ideas just made everything worse.
The author definitely did an excellent job forming the personality, and cockiness that makes up a felines unique outlook on the way things work.
As for the meerkats of the Duwara and Utongo tribes, they were at times hilarious, between their similarities and the way they feuded over things like territory and whose Sun was the true one, and infuriating because they could be a bit dense.
Seriously, my favorite thing about this book would have to be Sheena, the little cat, it was just so hilarious to see how she thought and how she referred to her family. Plus her mentality totally reminded me of the little kitty that hangs around our house.
While I really did enjoy reading The Meerkat Wars and enjoyed the writing, I did at points find that some of the sentence structure to be a little odd, like, maybe it was not originally written in English. I am not sure if it was or was not originally written in English (could not find anything out by searching). Even with that minor complaint, I still really enjoyed this book
Final Verdict: The Meerkat Wars a fascinating tale of courage.
The Meerkat Wars earns 3.5 of 5 pineapples.
Review taken from my blog, The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia.
"She was already thirsty."
In my experience, books with animals as the protagonist can be a little hit and miss, so I was nervous to accept The Meerkat Wars for review. I ended up worrying pretty much for nothing because this was a delightful read full of adventure and a very likable character.
The Meerkat Wars was a fun, yet action packed book about one little cat (Sheena) and her adventure with the Duwara and Utongo meerkat tribes in the Baragandiri National Park.
I really was not expecting this book to have a lot of action and adventure, or scenes that left me wondering if Sheena was going to survive long enough to make it back to her family. So I was pleasantly surprised while reading that all of those elements were there, and there in abundance. While the sense of adventure with a dash of danger was strong in this book, I thought that the author did a very nice job of writing the scenes-mainly because he had me completely worried about the fate of the main character for the majority of the book.
Sheena, was definitely one interesting character. What I liked best about her was that she was always scheming and making plans that would supposedly help those who she had befriended. Sometimes they and other times her ideas just made everything worse.
The author definitely did an excellent job forming the personality, and cockiness that makes up a felines unique outlook on the way things work.
As for the meerkats of the Duwara and Utongo tribes, they were at times hilarious, between their similarities and the way they feuded over things like territory and whose Sun was the true one, and infuriating because they could be a bit dense.
Seriously, my favorite thing about this book would have to be Sheena, the little cat, it was just so hilarious to see how she thought and how she referred to her family. Plus her mentality totally reminded me of the little kitty that hangs around our house.
While I really did enjoy reading The Meerkat Wars and enjoyed the writing, I did at points find that some of the sentence structure to be a little odd, like, maybe it was not originally written in English. I am not sure if it was or was not originally written in English (could not find anything out by searching). Even with that minor complaint, I still really enjoyed this book
Final Verdict: The Meerkat Wars a fascinating tale of courage.
The Meerkat Wars earns 3.5 of 5 pineapples.
Review taken from my blog, The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia.
January 29, 2012
I am not the first to think "Watership Down" for meerkats when reading this wonderful little book in which I learned much about meerkats and, through them, about people and their conflicts.
As the story begins, Sheena, a bobbed-tailed, black and white kitty hops onto her people's Land Rover to make her third clandestine foray into Baragandiri National Park. She hops back into Great White when Dad drives off for firewood, only to be left in a dry section of the park, hoping to find her family before the campout ends in 10 days. Thirsty, she is sizing up an insect that looks juicy, when a young meerkat chomps down on it, getting stung at the same time by "Black Hairy Thick-Tail." Pebble, the meerkat, begins to recite the bad, bad symptoms of scorpion bites while experiencing them simultaneously. Hum, hypochondriac meerkat? Pebbles is pretty funny and the humor builds until Sheena realizes that he really is in bad shape at about symptom seven. A second meerkat, Sandstepper, determines that Sheena has the makings of an excellent furry ambulance and they maneuver Pebbles onto her back. With that rescue, Sheena is welcomed into the Duwara tribe of the meerkats, who begin each joyous day in a sunbath, the Sunwake. The Duwara are at war with the Utongo who worship a better sun. The Utongo are out for revenge against the Duwara for delivering sickness into their tribe. They attack and kidnap the Duwara's leaders' three pups. Sheena slinks across the Gorge in a Bond-like mission to infiltrate the Utongos, figuring there has to be more to this conflict. Along the way, she encounters animal friends and foes, and limps to the Utongos with severe injuries. There she was nursed by Fara until... (Fara found it hard to finish...) Sheena noted that the tribes were so similar, soaking in the warmth of the sun each morning, caring for the newborns, hunting, sleeping habits, playing. She knows that there is one solution to end the war, but she had to get the warring tribes together to make it work. Sheena is one resourceful kitty.
Can we learn about peace from slim, crew-cut fur creatures? One can hope. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about meerkats and the ten other creatures of the Baragandiri. Humor, pathos, danger, The Meerkat Wars really has it all. This is the third book about courageous Sheena and her adventures in Baragandiri National Park.
As the story begins, Sheena, a bobbed-tailed, black and white kitty hops onto her people's Land Rover to make her third clandestine foray into Baragandiri National Park. She hops back into Great White when Dad drives off for firewood, only to be left in a dry section of the park, hoping to find her family before the campout ends in 10 days. Thirsty, she is sizing up an insect that looks juicy, when a young meerkat chomps down on it, getting stung at the same time by "Black Hairy Thick-Tail." Pebble, the meerkat, begins to recite the bad, bad symptoms of scorpion bites while experiencing them simultaneously. Hum, hypochondriac meerkat? Pebbles is pretty funny and the humor builds until Sheena realizes that he really is in bad shape at about symptom seven. A second meerkat, Sandstepper, determines that Sheena has the makings of an excellent furry ambulance and they maneuver Pebbles onto her back. With that rescue, Sheena is welcomed into the Duwara tribe of the meerkats, who begin each joyous day in a sunbath, the Sunwake. The Duwara are at war with the Utongo who worship a better sun. The Utongo are out for revenge against the Duwara for delivering sickness into their tribe. They attack and kidnap the Duwara's leaders' three pups. Sheena slinks across the Gorge in a Bond-like mission to infiltrate the Utongos, figuring there has to be more to this conflict. Along the way, she encounters animal friends and foes, and limps to the Utongos with severe injuries. There she was nursed by Fara until... (Fara found it hard to finish...) Sheena noted that the tribes were so similar, soaking in the warmth of the sun each morning, caring for the newborns, hunting, sleeping habits, playing. She knows that there is one solution to end the war, but she had to get the warring tribes together to make it work. Sheena is one resourceful kitty.
Can we learn about peace from slim, crew-cut fur creatures? One can hope. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about meerkats and the ten other creatures of the Baragandiri. Humor, pathos, danger, The Meerkat Wars really has it all. This is the third book about courageous Sheena and her adventures in Baragandiri National Park.
January 6, 2012
Sheena is a little black and white cat who decides being left at home isn't really what she wants so she stows away in the family vehicle and finds herself wandering on her own in Baragandri National Park. It isn't long before the curious cat stumbles upon her first friend and adventure.
Sheena is a typical cat with a typical cat attitude. Cat lovers will recognize their own cat's characteristics in Sheena. She befriends a Meerkat and then his tribe and soon finds herself in the midst of a war over the sun between Meerkat tribes. She plays a spy among the enemy, trying to gather information and locate missing pups and is shocked by what she sees and learns.
My one complaint about this book would be that I wished there was a phonetic pronunciation after some of the hard and unusual names and chapters in this book. I am sure I slaughtered them with my own inept pronunciations.
The chapter where Sheena meets her Meerkat friend and rescues him had me laughing out loud. It really was terrifically written and extremely funny. The entire book is intelligently written. The illustrations in this story are brilliant and we found ourselves looking at them for quite some time whenever they appeared on the page.
The one word that kept coming to mind while reading this book was charming. It really charmed my son and me; we really enjoyed reading it together. There are a lot of different animal meetings along the way - like elephants, hyenas, scorpions and more. The author does a great job of introducing new characters and keeping the story moving at a fast pace and keeping the reader interested and enthralled. There is some laughter, some sadness, a lot of animal adventure and all of it blends beautifully to make one wonderfully entertaining story for any age group.
I just found out that this book is the third in a series - I look forward to reading the first two. I would highly recommend this book, it was great fun!
Cherise Everhard January 2012
Sheena is a typical cat with a typical cat attitude. Cat lovers will recognize their own cat's characteristics in Sheena. She befriends a Meerkat and then his tribe and soon finds herself in the midst of a war over the sun between Meerkat tribes. She plays a spy among the enemy, trying to gather information and locate missing pups and is shocked by what she sees and learns.
My one complaint about this book would be that I wished there was a phonetic pronunciation after some of the hard and unusual names and chapters in this book. I am sure I slaughtered them with my own inept pronunciations.
The chapter where Sheena meets her Meerkat friend and rescues him had me laughing out loud. It really was terrifically written and extremely funny. The entire book is intelligently written. The illustrations in this story are brilliant and we found ourselves looking at them for quite some time whenever they appeared on the page.
The one word that kept coming to mind while reading this book was charming. It really charmed my son and me; we really enjoyed reading it together. There are a lot of different animal meetings along the way - like elephants, hyenas, scorpions and more. The author does a great job of introducing new characters and keeping the story moving at a fast pace and keeping the reader interested and enthralled. There is some laughter, some sadness, a lot of animal adventure and all of it blends beautifully to make one wonderfully entertaining story for any age group.
I just found out that this book is the third in a series - I look forward to reading the first two. I would highly recommend this book, it was great fun!
Cherise Everhard January 2012
April 21, 2012
The Meerkat Wars is the third adventure in this series about Sheena, a little black and white cat who lives in Africa with her family. In this book, the family is going on vacation, camping on the great African plains. Sheena goes along as a stowaway. She is stranded away from her family and on her way back to the campground, encounters her next big adventure.
Sheena makes the acquaintance of a colony of meerkats, the Duwara, after helping one of their members who was stung by a scorpion. She stays with the colony for a few days, learning about their ways. She is there when another Meerkat colony, the Utongo, raid the Duwara tunnels and kidnap their pups. As Sheena talks to both colonies, it becomes apparent that they are divided not by any reasonable event, but by their belief that each colony is living under the One True Sun. Meerkats start their day standing and basking in the sun, so the sun is the prime event in their world. Those who doubt the supremacy of the sun are enemies. Can Sheena bring the two groups together in the realization that there is one sun that shines for all?
This is a children's book, skillfully educating while entertaining. Several of the animals of the African plain are introduced along with their habitats, feeding habits and general behavior. In addition to the meerkats, there are seval cats porcupines, chameleons, water buffaloes and elephants. The underlying point, that we are all more similar than we are different, and that our separateness is often just self-generated, is brought home without a preachy tone. This book is recommended for middle school readers and for parents interested in getting good books for their children.
Sheena makes the acquaintance of a colony of meerkats, the Duwara, after helping one of their members who was stung by a scorpion. She stays with the colony for a few days, learning about their ways. She is there when another Meerkat colony, the Utongo, raid the Duwara tunnels and kidnap their pups. As Sheena talks to both colonies, it becomes apparent that they are divided not by any reasonable event, but by their belief that each colony is living under the One True Sun. Meerkats start their day standing and basking in the sun, so the sun is the prime event in their world. Those who doubt the supremacy of the sun are enemies. Can Sheena bring the two groups together in the realization that there is one sun that shines for all?
This is a children's book, skillfully educating while entertaining. Several of the animals of the African plain are introduced along with their habitats, feeding habits and general behavior. In addition to the meerkats, there are seval cats porcupines, chameleons, water buffaloes and elephants. The underlying point, that we are all more similar than we are different, and that our separateness is often just self-generated, is brought home without a preachy tone. This book is recommended for middle school readers and for parents interested in getting good books for their children.
December 16, 2011
These stories feature a clever black and white cat named Sheena, who goes on adventures with her family the Allens.
In this story she stows away as they enter a new section of the Baragandiri National Park. Sheena has her own adventure as she helps a young meerkat that has been poisoned by a scorpion. She ends up making friends with his whole meerkat tribe and learns that they are at war with another meerkat tribe that lives on the other side of the gorge. The whole issue is which tribe lives under the “one true sun”. Sheena goes on quite a journey as she tries to bring these two meerkat tribes together.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was quite a story. I enjoyed it and I think older kids through seniors citizens would enjoy it as well. There is a bit of death and scary things that would keep me from reading or recommending it to younger readers although my grandson loved the pictures on the back cover and wanted to know about the animals.
The book seems to have been extremely well researched and actually had me studying about the amazing creatures in this book after I finished the story. I think it would be a great book to add to middle school, junior high or high school reading lists as it covers many subjects, from geography to science, and has a good message about relating to others believe differently than you and getting along with everyone. The sketches in the book are wonderful as well.
This is my first adventure with Sheena and I will be picking up the first two and reading along as the series continues.
In this story she stows away as they enter a new section of the Baragandiri National Park. Sheena has her own adventure as she helps a young meerkat that has been poisoned by a scorpion. She ends up making friends with his whole meerkat tribe and learns that they are at war with another meerkat tribe that lives on the other side of the gorge. The whole issue is which tribe lives under the “one true sun”. Sheena goes on quite a journey as she tries to bring these two meerkat tribes together.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was quite a story. I enjoyed it and I think older kids through seniors citizens would enjoy it as well. There is a bit of death and scary things that would keep me from reading or recommending it to younger readers although my grandson loved the pictures on the back cover and wanted to know about the animals.
The book seems to have been extremely well researched and actually had me studying about the amazing creatures in this book after I finished the story. I think it would be a great book to add to middle school, junior high or high school reading lists as it covers many subjects, from geography to science, and has a good message about relating to others believe differently than you and getting along with everyone. The sketches in the book are wonderful as well.
This is my first adventure with Sheena and I will be picking up the first two and reading along as the series continues.
January 28, 2012
The Meerkat Wars was a fun and easy-to-read middle grade novel. The novel is one of a series of books with the same protagonist, but the book has little mention of Sheena's previous or later adventures until the last section. Although I was initially unsure about reading it, I highly suggest it to early middle or late elementary school students.
The Meerkat Wars had a fun and developed plot. The characters were thoroughly loveable and highly developed. At times, I felt the novel was young (although it did encompass some topics like war) although well fit for an ambitious late elementary school student. The story resolved well and did have an ending and beginning where it would be appropriate to continue the series.
Additionally, The Meerkat Wars really explored the concept of accepting others beliefs (although after a certain and adequate amount of proof). It also explored strategies over action and really promoted teamwork. I completely recommend this novel for younger children and suggest it as a gift for that special holiday.
I'm giving away a copy here on my blog: http://bookishlybloggers.blogspot.com...
The Meerkat Wars had a fun and developed plot. The characters were thoroughly loveable and highly developed. At times, I felt the novel was young (although it did encompass some topics like war) although well fit for an ambitious late elementary school student. The story resolved well and did have an ending and beginning where it would be appropriate to continue the series.
Additionally, The Meerkat Wars really explored the concept of accepting others beliefs (although after a certain and adequate amount of proof). It also explored strategies over action and really promoted teamwork. I completely recommend this novel for younger children and suggest it as a gift for that special holiday.
I'm giving away a copy here on my blog: http://bookishlybloggers.blogspot.com...
February 3, 2012
My eleven year old's new read is The Meerkat Wars by H. S. Toshack. It speaks to her love of animals and features an adventurous story set in Africa. The main character is Sheena, a very clever cat, who ends up the adventure of a lifetime when she finds herself in the middle of a war between two tribes of meerkats.
The Meerkat Wars is close to 250 pages and perfect for YA readers, or to be read to elementary-aged children. My eleven year old really enjoyed the different animal characters in the story as well as the amazingly detailed illustrations from artist Nelson McAlister that are strewn throughout the book. There are some powerful messages in this book, including focusing on the commonalities you have with others rather than your differences. The Meerkat Wars is also full of humor (like the scene where Sheena meets the porcupines), adventure, and animal characters that many time feel like humans in regards to their concerns and emotions. In the end, the tribes find a common ground and peace at last, all thanks to a black and white cat named Sheena.
* I received a copy of the this book free of charge for the purpose of a review. *
The Meerkat Wars is close to 250 pages and perfect for YA readers, or to be read to elementary-aged children. My eleven year old really enjoyed the different animal characters in the story as well as the amazingly detailed illustrations from artist Nelson McAlister that are strewn throughout the book. There are some powerful messages in this book, including focusing on the commonalities you have with others rather than your differences. The Meerkat Wars is also full of humor (like the scene where Sheena meets the porcupines), adventure, and animal characters that many time feel like humans in regards to their concerns and emotions. In the end, the tribes find a common ground and peace at last, all thanks to a black and white cat named Sheena.
* I received a copy of the this book free of charge for the purpose of a review. *
February 26, 2012
H. S. Toshack has written a third book in his Paka Mdogo: Little Cat series. Our little heroine is Sheena, a domestic cat. As in her first two books, Sheena is off on an adventure.
In The Meerkat Wars, Sheena's family goes on an African Safari. Sheena stows away in the back of their vehicle, and ends up in the middle of a warzone. There is a war amongst the tribes of Meerkat in the Baragandiri National Park. Sheena becomes the mediator, and hopeful peacemaker for the Meerkat.
As in any situation involving war, there is violence. However, this is a chapter novel for young adults. As an educator, H. S. Toshack handles these situations with intelligence and moral lessons. Tolerance and acceptance are stressed. The book is filled with natural facts and interaction of Meerkat. The lessons are easily applicable to human nature, as well.
I highly recommend this book and series. Well written, the books are both adventurous and educational. H. S. Toshack plans more books based on his Paka Mdogo: Little Cat. His following of readers continues to grow in number, and in age.
In The Meerkat Wars, Sheena's family goes on an African Safari. Sheena stows away in the back of their vehicle, and ends up in the middle of a warzone. There is a war amongst the tribes of Meerkat in the Baragandiri National Park. Sheena becomes the mediator, and hopeful peacemaker for the Meerkat.
As in any situation involving war, there is violence. However, this is a chapter novel for young adults. As an educator, H. S. Toshack handles these situations with intelligence and moral lessons. Tolerance and acceptance are stressed. The book is filled with natural facts and interaction of Meerkat. The lessons are easily applicable to human nature, as well.
I highly recommend this book and series. Well written, the books are both adventurous and educational. H. S. Toshack plans more books based on his Paka Mdogo: Little Cat. His following of readers continues to grow in number, and in age.
November 30, 2011
The Meerkat Wars by H. S. Toshack
This book has a domestic cat acting as a mediator between two warring tribes of meerkats.
The book provides some very good lessons on helping others. It also shows that just because something is different than you doesn’t mean it is less or more than you, it is just different.
Sheena, the cat, finds herself on an unintended, hazardous adventure. The book demonstrates how philosophic differences, in this case the nature or belief of the One True Sun can turn creatures of similar nature against each other.
There a few well placed illustrations in the book and it reads easily. I like how the author demonstrates positive behavior without preaching about it. I think that will carry much more weight with the reader.
I liked the book, good messages while providing an entertaining read.
It should be readable by the advanced 2nd grader and certainly enjoyed up to and including adults, particularly cat lovers.
I recommend the book.
This book has a domestic cat acting as a mediator between two warring tribes of meerkats.
The book provides some very good lessons on helping others. It also shows that just because something is different than you doesn’t mean it is less or more than you, it is just different.
Sheena, the cat, finds herself on an unintended, hazardous adventure. The book demonstrates how philosophic differences, in this case the nature or belief of the One True Sun can turn creatures of similar nature against each other.
There a few well placed illustrations in the book and it reads easily. I like how the author demonstrates positive behavior without preaching about it. I think that will carry much more weight with the reader.
I liked the book, good messages while providing an entertaining read.
It should be readable by the advanced 2nd grader and certainly enjoyed up to and including adults, particularly cat lovers.
I recommend the book.
March 3, 2012
The Meerkat Wars is a great novel for children and young adults. When I was asked to review this book, I was very excited because I love books about cats. I liked Sheena, the main character, and her wise negotiating skills. She uses her intelligence quite a bit to get out of rough spots with certain characters throughout the book. I liked all the characters in the book. Mondo was definitely my favorite character. I liked her spunkiness and ambition, and was quite sad when Slash killed her. The Meerkat Wars teaches a great lesson to children. It teaches a lesson about accepting the beliefs of other people, no matter how weird or far fetched they may sound. I recommend this book for older elementary kids, and also kids that are in middle school. It was fantastic, and I will definitely buy the other 2 novels in the series to read as well. The Meerkat Wars can be read as a series, with the first two books, or it can be read as a stand alone novel.
December 13, 2011
The authors knowledge of how Meerkats live, work and play is well researched, which adds to the story and the belief that you are really living like a Meerkat. The knowledge of the other types of animals encountered along the adventure is also first class.
Sheena, a poor lost cat, brings the story to life with her adventures, fights and struggles to get back to her human family. She encounters two fighting tribes of Meerkats, the Duwara tribe and the Utongo tribe. Sheena realises that both tribes need to believe in the same thing 'One Sun' to end all the fighting, so they can live in peace. Can she achieve this?
A book to be enjoyed by both young and old as the author brings the sense of humour and honour among the Meerkats alive. With sketches throughout the book for you to enjoy.
Sheena, a poor lost cat, brings the story to life with her adventures, fights and struggles to get back to her human family. She encounters two fighting tribes of Meerkats, the Duwara tribe and the Utongo tribe. Sheena realises that both tribes need to believe in the same thing 'One Sun' to end all the fighting, so they can live in peace. Can she achieve this?
A book to be enjoyed by both young and old as the author brings the sense of humour and honour among the Meerkats alive. With sketches throughout the book for you to enjoy.
December 30, 2011
Sheena is a domestic cat belonging to the Allen family. She is off again on another exciting adventure. This time she uses her wisdom and leadership skills to prevent an all out war between two opposing tribes of meerkats. Her curiosity, bravery and wit enables her to plunge deep into burrows, cross the dreaded gorge and try to prove that both tribes live under one common sun.
Can a “mere” house cat lead these communities into harmonious living? After a lot of hard work Sheena gains their respect which causes her to open up their minds to new possibilities and finally see if they agree and work together they will have a happier future for their tribe members.
The book exposes the reader to a variety of exotic creatures giving you a glimpse into their habitats and characteristics. Hghly recommended.
Can a “mere” house cat lead these communities into harmonious living? After a lot of hard work Sheena gains their respect which causes her to open up their minds to new possibilities and finally see if they agree and work together they will have a happier future for their tribe members.
The book exposes the reader to a variety of exotic creatures giving you a glimpse into their habitats and characteristics. Hghly recommended.
November 12, 2012
I am a huge fan of meerkats, and my cat is a black and white (male). So when I saw this cover, I had to buy the book, even if I did not get around to reading it for a while.
This turned out to be an enjoyable read, even though it is not on the level of my typical reading.
What I may have enjoyed the most (besides the great meerkat sketch illustrations) was the author's knowledge of meerkats and how it was worked into the story. With the exception of missing that meerkat mobs are headed up by the dominant female, all the characterizations of meerkats--from their "philosophy of life" to their habits and tastes--are spot on.
The story's simple life lessons make it a good book to enjoy along with your young children. We all live under the same sun. ;-)
This turned out to be an enjoyable read, even though it is not on the level of my typical reading.
What I may have enjoyed the most (besides the great meerkat sketch illustrations) was the author's knowledge of meerkats and how it was worked into the story. With the exception of missing that meerkat mobs are headed up by the dominant female, all the characterizations of meerkats--from their "philosophy of life" to their habits and tastes--are spot on.
The story's simple life lessons make it a good book to enjoy along with your young children. We all live under the same sun. ;-)
January 16, 2012
The Meerkat Wars is a story about an ordinary family pet (Sheena)that sneaks into the car when the family leave for vacation to the Baragandiri National Park, her third secret adventure). She ends up stranded in unfamiliar territory when she fails to sneak back into the Land Rover after the male human gathers wood. She comes across a tribe of Meerkats and the adventure begins. A delightful story for a parent to share with children and of course the older child will also enjoy this story. Love that the animals can speak and have varying personalities. I highly recommend it. The authors other books include
Paka Mdogo: Little Cat (Paka Mdogo Series) and The Gradual Elephant.
Paka Mdogo: Little Cat (Paka Mdogo Series) and The Gradual Elephant.
June 12, 2012
In this adorable tale we meet, Sheena, an ordinary house cat, or is she? Sheena becomes separated from her 'human' family and is thrust into a world she did not know existed., the world of the Meerkats. Sheena has to help the Meerkats understand that their war is not one that should be fought. This is a wonderful book that takes you on a trip and meet lots of characters. You'll also learns a lot about Meerkats. This was a fast read and I really enjoyed reading all about Sheena and the Meerkats. Does Sheena solve the war problem? Dose Sheena get back to her "human" family? You'll have to read the book to find out.
November 26, 2011
I really loved this book! But then, I really love the Redwall series too! This was such a good story. It was about Sheena, a common housecat, that gets lost in the middle of the African wild.
She meets up with, and starts living with a tribe of meerkats. It's amazing the adventures that Sheena finds herself in, and the plans that she comes up with. Yikes, scorpions and flesh-eating ants?!! I loved the personalities of all the animals, especially Sheena, Spickle - the baby porcupine, and Pebble - the Meerkat.
A wonderful middle-grade book!
She meets up with, and starts living with a tribe of meerkats. It's amazing the adventures that Sheena finds herself in, and the plans that she comes up with. Yikes, scorpions and flesh-eating ants?!! I loved the personalities of all the animals, especially Sheena, Spickle - the baby porcupine, and Pebble - the Meerkat.
A wonderful middle-grade book!
January 3, 2012
Initially when I saw this book, I had no idea it was the third in a series. While reading it and afterwards, I say it can easily be read as a stand alone. Though I do look forward to reading the others.
This was a lot of fun and had a ton of adventure. Those of you who read the Zan-Gah series will enjoy this one. It's not the same setting, but the feel for adventure is close.
Pubescent teens would really get a kick out of these stories too.
I look forward to my next reading adventure with Sheena!
4.5/5
This was a lot of fun and had a ton of adventure. Those of you who read the Zan-Gah series will enjoy this one. It's not the same setting, but the feel for adventure is close.
Pubescent teens would really get a kick out of these stories too.
I look forward to my next reading adventure with Sheena!
4.5/5
January 2, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent, entertaining read. The author's thorough research and artful story-telling skills (with the help of the adventurous Sheena, a very clever cat) bring meerkats in the wilds of East Africa to vibrant life. The illustrations are superb. This is a great book for readers of all ages.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews