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Miranda the Great: An Adventure About Cats and Kittens Escaping Barbarians in Ancient Rome for Kids
When barbarians invade Rome, Miranda the cat and her daughter Punka must find a safe place to hide from the chaos. They make their way through the burning city, collecting motherless kittens as they go. At last they reach the Colosseum--but even there, danger lurks!
How these fortunate felines survive to become the noble ancestors of the cats of modern Rome is all due to the cleverness of the cat they come to call Miranda the Great, Queen of the Colosseum!
How these fortunate felines survive to become the noble ancestors of the cats of modern Rome is all due to the cleverness of the cat they come to call Miranda the Great, Queen of the Colosseum!
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
5 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Estes
35 books275 followersEleanor Ruth Rosenfeld (Estes)was an American children's author. She was born in West Haven, Connecticut as Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield. Originally a librarian, Estes' writing career began following a case of tuberculosis. Bedridden while recovering, Estes began writing down some of her childhood memories, which would later turn into full-length children's books.
Estes's book Ginger Pye (1951) won the Newbery Medal, and three of her other books (The Middle Moffat, Rufus M., and The Hundred Dresses) were chosen as Newbery Honor books. She also received the Certificate of Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and was nominated for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. By the time of her death at age 82, Estes had written 19 children's books and one novel for adults.
Estes's book Ginger Pye (1951) won the Newbery Medal, and three of her other books (The Middle Moffat, Rufus M., and The Hundred Dresses) were chosen as Newbery Honor books. She also received the Certificate of Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and was nominated for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. By the time of her death at age 82, Estes had written 19 children's books and one novel for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 12, 2015
One of my favorite picture books from childhood.
I love how fiction can really inform your later life experiences. When I finally first visited Rome, and saw the Colosseum, I was immeasurably thrilled to see 'Miranda's' descendants living happily amidst the ruins, wild, but fed and cared for by volunteers.
Maybe this book is also part of the reason I love cats...
I love how fiction can really inform your later life experiences. When I finally first visited Rome, and saw the Colosseum, I was immeasurably thrilled to see 'Miranda's' descendants living happily amidst the ruins, wild, but fed and cared for by volunteers.
Maybe this book is also part of the reason I love cats...
November 30, 2008
A cat and her family find refuge in the Roman Colusseum when the city is overrun by barbarians.
Ages 9-12
Miranda the Great is a large golden cat with a beautiful singing voice, who lives peacefully with her daughter Punka and a girl named Claudia in ancient Rome. When barbarians burn and sack the city, Miranda and Punka hide and are left behind while the family flees to the country. In an attempt to find a safe place for Punka and her newborn kittens, Miranda finds shelter in the Colusseum. There, she frees a lioness from captivity and in exchange receives milk for her kittens and other rescued kittens from around the city. Miranda eventually finds her family, but must decide whether to go back home with them or remain in the Colosseum to protect her large extended family. In an unusual climax, the cat acts out the process of making this decision by performing a grand opera. This heartwarming story is made more interesting by the setting, and the illustrator, Edward Ardizzone, shows a wonderful feel for animals in his beautiful black and white line drawings, which are reminiscent of Piranesi's prints. Although everything turns out well in the end, it is a bit of a tearjerker and the vocabulary is somewhat advanced, so I would recommend it for ages 9-12.
A Horn Book review from Spring, 2006 is concise, but summarizes the plot like the sentence at the top of this review, and agrees that the illustrations add to the enjoyment of the engaging story. Equally unhelpful was the editorial review on amazon.com, which made it seem as though the story is only about Miranda saving the kittens--it didn't mention the sentimental aspects of the story or the opera scene at the end.
Ages 9-12
Miranda the Great is a large golden cat with a beautiful singing voice, who lives peacefully with her daughter Punka and a girl named Claudia in ancient Rome. When barbarians burn and sack the city, Miranda and Punka hide and are left behind while the family flees to the country. In an attempt to find a safe place for Punka and her newborn kittens, Miranda finds shelter in the Colusseum. There, she frees a lioness from captivity and in exchange receives milk for her kittens and other rescued kittens from around the city. Miranda eventually finds her family, but must decide whether to go back home with them or remain in the Colosseum to protect her large extended family. In an unusual climax, the cat acts out the process of making this decision by performing a grand opera. This heartwarming story is made more interesting by the setting, and the illustrator, Edward Ardizzone, shows a wonderful feel for animals in his beautiful black and white line drawings, which are reminiscent of Piranesi's prints. Although everything turns out well in the end, it is a bit of a tearjerker and the vocabulary is somewhat advanced, so I would recommend it for ages 9-12.
A Horn Book review from Spring, 2006 is concise, but summarizes the plot like the sentence at the top of this review, and agrees that the illustrations add to the enjoyment of the engaging story. Equally unhelpful was the editorial review on amazon.com, which made it seem as though the story is only about Miranda saving the kittens--it didn't mention the sentimental aspects of the story or the opera scene at the end.
February 17, 2024
We are fans of animal stories of all kinds at our house, but books with cats rate especially highly with my 12 year old. I was happy to find a vintage copy of this title at a book sale last year!
Miranda the Great is a highly-illustrated short chapter book set in Rome in the last days of the Roman Empire. Miranda and her year-old daughter Punka are cats living a pampered life with a well-off Roman family. When barbarians invade the city and set it ablaze, Miranda and Punka's family flee for their country villa - but can't find the cats, who are hiding in an urn.
As the cats attempt to flee their smoke-filled neighborhood, they can't help but be drawn by the pitiful cries of kitten who have been separated from their mothers. Soon, Miranda and Punka find themselves in the relative safety of the Colosseum with 33 hungry kittens to care for! Miranda is truly great, and steps up to the task of making sure her charges don't go hungry.
Fans of the "Jenny and the Cat Club" and "Catwings" series should enjoy this book! It's possibly at a little bit higher reading level, but readers or listeners of Elementary age and older should definitely enjoy this story. It would also make a great addition to ancient history reading, and even includes a few Latin words and phrases here and there.
We're studying Roman history in our homeschool this year, though we are much earlier on in our study - I didn't realize prior to reading that this was set near the end of the empire. I liked the "Easter egg" that the family's horse is named Hamilcar Barca (Carthaginian general during the 1st Punic war). 😆
This title was a 5-star read for both me and my 12 year old!
Miranda the Great is a highly-illustrated short chapter book set in Rome in the last days of the Roman Empire. Miranda and her year-old daughter Punka are cats living a pampered life with a well-off Roman family. When barbarians invade the city and set it ablaze, Miranda and Punka's family flee for their country villa - but can't find the cats, who are hiding in an urn.
As the cats attempt to flee their smoke-filled neighborhood, they can't help but be drawn by the pitiful cries of kitten who have been separated from their mothers. Soon, Miranda and Punka find themselves in the relative safety of the Colosseum with 33 hungry kittens to care for! Miranda is truly great, and steps up to the task of making sure her charges don't go hungry.
Fans of the "Jenny and the Cat Club" and "Catwings" series should enjoy this book! It's possibly at a little bit higher reading level, but readers or listeners of Elementary age and older should definitely enjoy this story. It would also make a great addition to ancient history reading, and even includes a few Latin words and phrases here and there.
We're studying Roman history in our homeschool this year, though we are much earlier on in our study - I didn't realize prior to reading that this was set near the end of the empire. I liked the "Easter egg" that the family's horse is named Hamilcar Barca (Carthaginian general during the 1st Punic war). 😆
This title was a 5-star read for both me and my 12 year old!
October 11, 2019
Boring. Boring. Boring. But two stars because I reserve one star for books that should never have been written, much less published. Some child might actually like this book, and might read it. Yay! Oh, it’s about a cat during the sack of Rome. You know, when they discovered burlap. Hahaha!
October 14, 2021
A short book by Estes. Fun to listen to while we were learning about the fall of the Roman Empire and being invaded by barbarians. A few Latin phrases were interspersed that my kids recognized. My 11 yo daughter enjoyed more than my 9 yo son, as the main character was a cat and she’s a cat lover.
March 21, 2019
Lovely story with a nice depth of vocabulary as well as some excellent lessons in strength and courage!
July 4, 2017
I imagine that any fan of Jenny Linsky would appreciate this.
April 7, 2008
There are many pets in Claudia's place in Rome especially Miranda and her kittens.Claudia lived with Miranda in a pretty golden marble house.Everyday Miranda and her kittens will drink drops of goat's milk to make them strong and big.... What will happen to Miranda?
September 17, 2016
Had to check out this book for Edward Ardizzone illustrations. Kitten rescue, leaping cats, the Rome Colosseum, and a scary lion- perfect elements of an enchanting story. I loved all Estes' books when I was a kid and re-reading this one was fun.
June 27, 2022
Miranda is a Roman cat whose comfortable life is disrupted when barbarians attack the city and force her human family to flee. Being a feline of intelligence and character, Miranda is equal to the challenge. She adopts a large number of abandoned kittens and finds a home for everyone in the empty coliseum.
My kids enjoyed listening to the story as an audiobook while we traveled. We adults chuckled quite a bit too. It’s light and fluffy, but on a long car drive, that’s really O.K. I wouldn’t say that this story teaches ancient history, but it is especially fun for kids who know something about the Roman world and perhaps a few words of Latin.
My kids enjoyed listening to the story as an audiobook while we traveled. We adults chuckled quite a bit too. It’s light and fluffy, but on a long car drive, that’s really O.K. I wouldn’t say that this story teaches ancient history, but it is especially fun for kids who know something about the Roman world and perhaps a few words of Latin.
October 8, 2021
If you want to read a story about cats, complete with cat sounds, this is the book for you. While the story of Miranda the cat and her firstborn Punka, is fictional, it is based on a tiny bit of history - or maybe better said historical trivia. Who knew cats in Rome are protected, and many make their home in the Colosseum!
October 8, 2021
If you are wanting to read a children's book about cats, complete with cat sounds, this is the audiobook for you. While the story of Miranda the Great and all the other cats in the story is fiction, it is based on a tiny piece of history - or maybe better said, historical fiction. Who knew cats were protected in Rome, and many live in the Colosseum!
June 7, 2023
I have a real soft spot for Eleanor Estes (especially the Moffats!!!). I bought this book in 2002 so I have probably read it at some point, but couldn't really remember. It's a pretty simple story with delightful pencil drawings throughout. Nothing amazing or groundbreaking here, but pretty cute overall.
October 5, 2017
A charming story about a cat for younger readers. The story takes place in ancient Rome at the time of a barbarian invasion, but is handled so that it will not upset any but the most anxious readers.
October 20, 2017
Yard sale find that I read to my young daughter because she has a fascination with the Roman Colosseum. She really enjoyed the story of the 2 cats and the 30 something kittens they rescued.
May 30, 2018
Good for children to read but it bores me :(
January 17, 2019
2.5 stars rounded up because of the lovely illustrations by Edward Ardizzone.
May 18, 2022
its a pretty cool book honestly
September 14, 2023
A nice little story, very quick to read through. A little sad, but not too much. Only slightly historical.
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January 23, 2025Kids read in 2025
July 25, 2025
3 ⭐️ very cute, quick story
October 10, 2025
This was quite charming.
July 21, 2022
Miranda, a cat in ancient Rome, saves a lot of kittens during the invasion of barbarians. 4yo was highly pleased with this one.
August 15, 2010
A cute book but not a favorite even though I'm a cat lover. I would have given it 2.5 stars but since this one was for the kids and with the kids as an audio book, they rate it a 5. My daughter especially liked the narrator's voice for this audio book saying it was "very soothing" and "like silk". LOL
April 29, 2013
I liked it because it was a story about cats (I really like cats), my favourite part was when Miranda and her daughter Punka found all 33 motherless kittens in the fire. My least favourite part was when Miranda's family came to find her but she couldn't go back home with them because she had all 33 kittens, plus her own kitten.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2009
Edward Ardizzone illustrated the version of the book I read, which I found in a cast-off heap. Children wild about cats may enjoy this story, set in Ancient Rome. The character names were not very original and Estes has written much better material.
October 3, 2009
A solid read for those kids who love an animal story. Quick and easy and pretty light - I like the way it weaves in teh cats of Rome, which could make a fun little research project for the kitty-obsessed kid. Can see why it remains in print!
April 17, 2008
I like this book a lot as its adventure was thrilling.
February 13, 2009
A silly, historical cat book.
June 12, 2013
I love this book. Makes me want to go to Rome. Silly and good and a classic.
G: I like this book even though I don't like cats. It's all about a "cat-astrophe." Get it?
G: I like this book even though I don't like cats. It's all about a "cat-astrophe." Get it?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews