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Puss in Boots
A cunning cat wins for his master a castle, a fortune, and the hand of a princess.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
January 10, 2026
Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator Gail E. Haley presents the classic French fairy-tale of Puss in Boots in this engaging picture book. The third and youngest son of a miller is left only Grey the cat as his inheritance, and thinks he is most unfortunate, until that wily feline dons some boots and a sack, and sets out to change both of their lives for the better. Reinventing his master as the Marquis of Carrabas, Grey manages to convince the king that he is a wealthy man, a fiction made real through cleverness, and the defeat of an ogre...
Published in 1991, Puss in Boots is third picture book I have read from Haley, following upon her Caldecott-winning A Story, A Story: An African Tale (1970) and Sea Tale (1990). I found it a very engaging retelling of this classic tale, which I have seen presented by a number of other authors and illustrators. I particularly liked that Grey was named in this telling, and that he had his own feline friend and love in the form of Letitia, the Princess's cat. I haven't seen that in other tellings, so it might be Haley's own original invention, although I am not sure. The accompanying artwork was appealing, for the most part. I enjoyed them overall, and found the feline characters very well done. According to the blurb about the author on the read dust-jacket, Grey was based on Haley's own cat, Clarence. I didn't find the human characters as appealing or convincing, but given my overall enjoyment, wasn't too put off. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers.
Published in 1991, Puss in Boots is third picture book I have read from Haley, following upon her Caldecott-winning A Story, A Story: An African Tale (1970) and Sea Tale (1990). I found it a very engaging retelling of this classic tale, which I have seen presented by a number of other authors and illustrators. I particularly liked that Grey was named in this telling, and that he had his own feline friend and love in the form of Letitia, the Princess's cat. I haven't seen that in other tellings, so it might be Haley's own original invention, although I am not sure. The accompanying artwork was appealing, for the most part. I enjoyed them overall, and found the feline characters very well done. According to the blurb about the author on the read dust-jacket, Grey was based on Haley's own cat, Clarence. I didn't find the human characters as appealing or convincing, but given my overall enjoyment, wasn't too put off. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review