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King o' the Cats
Young Peter Black has a bad reputation in town for telling wild stories. Father Allen has given him work as a sexton, but this may be his very last chance at a job.
So, what is Peter to do when he happens upon a cat coronation in the church in the dead of night? How can he convince Father Allen that this isn't just one more wild story? And why is Father Allen's cat staring at him like that?
Explore the mystery in this much expanded and highly imaginative retelling of an old English favorite. Meow. . . .
TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE.
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Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "The Adventures of Mouse Deer," and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater.
Kristin Sorra has illustrated picture books for numerous publishers. Her work has also appeared in comic books, magazines, stationery and paper products, off-Broadway shows, Web sites, and clothing hang tags.
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August 2004 Junior Library Guild Selection
2005 Kansas National Educational Association Reading Circle Catalog
2006 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Nominee
"A well-told, atmospherically illustrated replacement -- at last -- for the standard, but far-too-sketchy, Joseph Jacobs/Paul Galdone rendition." -- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2004
"Builds nicely and creates a fuller sense of the alternate life of the cats. . . . A seasoned storyteller, Shepard retains the basic scheme and a bit of wording from Jacobs, crafting a smooth narrative that will please listeners, storytellers, and readers." -- Margaret Bush, School Library Journal, Aug. 2004
"The story benefits from Shepard's firm grasp on the elements of good storytelling. . . . A fine choice for reading aloud." -- Carolyn Phelan, American Library Association Booklist, Oct. 1, 2004
"Kristin Sorra's vibrant drawings bring an old English folk story to life in Aaron Shepard's engaging King o' the Cats." -- Children's Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review, Jan 2005
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One night Peter couldn't sleep. He tossed and he turned and at last got up to make himself some tea. But when he glanced out his window, he saw the windows of the church ablaze with light.
"What in the world . . . ?" muttered Peter. "There shouldn't be anyone there, this time of night. And how'd they get in, anyway?"
Peter pulled on a coat, crossed the yard, and quietly unlocked the back door. As he crept through the vestry, he heard a sound from the church. "Meow, meow . . . ."
"Sounds like a cat," murmured Peter. "But I never knew a cat to light a candle."
He peered around the curtain hung at the church entrance, and what he saw made him gasp. There was not one cat, but hundreds of cats, of every size and coloring. They filled the pews, and all of them sat upright just like people.
On the steps to the altar, a big black cat -- the biggest cat Peter had ever seen -- was kneeling with his head bowed. Standing above him with paws upraised was a black cat in bishop's robes, intoning, "Meow, meow . . . ."
An altar kitten approached with a velvet pillow on which lay a small golden crown. The bishop lifted the crown and solemnly placed it on the kneeling cat's head.
The church exploded with cries of "Meow, meow!" Peter didn't wait to see more. He raced through the vestry and back to his cottage, where he jumped into bed and stayed trembling under the covers till morning.
So, what is Peter to do when he happens upon a cat coronation in the church in the dead of night? How can he convince Father Allen that this isn't just one more wild story? And why is Father Allen's cat staring at him like that?
Explore the mystery in this much expanded and highly imaginative retelling of an old English favorite. Meow. . . .
TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER'S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FREE ON AARON'S WEB SITE.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "The Adventures of Mouse Deer," and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater.
Kristin Sorra has illustrated picture books for numerous publishers. Her work has also appeared in comic books, magazines, stationery and paper products, off-Broadway shows, Web sites, and clothing hang tags.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
August 2004 Junior Library Guild Selection
2005 Kansas National Educational Association Reading Circle Catalog
2006 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award Nominee
"A well-told, atmospherically illustrated replacement -- at last -- for the standard, but far-too-sketchy, Joseph Jacobs/Paul Galdone rendition." -- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2004
"Builds nicely and creates a fuller sense of the alternate life of the cats. . . . A seasoned storyteller, Shepard retains the basic scheme and a bit of wording from Jacobs, crafting a smooth narrative that will please listeners, storytellers, and readers." -- Margaret Bush, School Library Journal, Aug. 2004
"The story benefits from Shepard's firm grasp on the elements of good storytelling. . . . A fine choice for reading aloud." -- Carolyn Phelan, American Library Association Booklist, Oct. 1, 2004
"Kristin Sorra's vibrant drawings bring an old English folk story to life in Aaron Shepard's engaging King o' the Cats." -- Children's Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review, Jan 2005
/////////////////////////////////////////////////
One night Peter couldn't sleep. He tossed and he turned and at last got up to make himself some tea. But when he glanced out his window, he saw the windows of the church ablaze with light.
"What in the world . . . ?" muttered Peter. "There shouldn't be anyone there, this time of night. And how'd they get in, anyway?"
Peter pulled on a coat, crossed the yard, and quietly unlocked the back door. As he crept through the vestry, he heard a sound from the church. "Meow, meow . . . ."
"Sounds like a cat," murmured Peter. "But I never knew a cat to light a candle."
He peered around the curtain hung at the church entrance, and what he saw made him gasp. There was not one cat, but hundreds of cats, of every size and coloring. They filled the pews, and all of them sat upright just like people.
On the steps to the altar, a big black cat -- the biggest cat Peter had ever seen -- was kneeling with his head bowed. Standing above him with paws upraised was a black cat in bishop's robes, intoning, "Meow, meow . . . ."
An altar kitten approached with a velvet pillow on which lay a small golden crown. The bishop lifted the crown and solemnly placed it on the kneeling cat's head.
The church exploded with cries of "Meow, meow!" Peter didn't wait to see more. He raced through the vestry and back to his cottage, where he jumped into bed and stayed trembling under the covers till morning.
32 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2004
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Shepard
93 books41 followersAaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 28, 2020
A young sexton with a reputation for telling tall tales, Peter finds it difficult to convince Father Allen that the extraordinary things he's been seeing are real. Who would believe a story about a large black cat being crowned in the church? Or the tale of a group of cats, mounted on foxes, hunting a dog? Peter is on the verge of being dismissed from his job when he brings one final story to Father Allen. But then the father's own cat does something very surprising...
According to Aaron Shepard's brief note, this traditional English story was originally found in Joseph Jacobs' 1894 collection, More English Fairy Tales , and variants of it can be found in other European folk traditions. I found the story here engaging, and appreciated some of the humorous details, such as the fact that the town is called 'Tabby-on-Thames.' The accompanying illustrations from Kristin Sorra, whose artwork I know from another feline picture-book, Scarlett the Cat to the Rescue: Fire Hero , is colorful and cute, in a stylized, cartoon-like way. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, as well as to young cat lovers.
According to Aaron Shepard's brief note, this traditional English story was originally found in Joseph Jacobs' 1894 collection, More English Fairy Tales , and variants of it can be found in other European folk traditions. I found the story here engaging, and appreciated some of the humorous details, such as the fact that the town is called 'Tabby-on-Thames.' The accompanying illustrations from Kristin Sorra, whose artwork I know from another feline picture-book, Scarlett the Cat to the Rescue: Fire Hero , is colorful and cute, in a stylized, cartoon-like way. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, as well as to young cat lovers.
May 9, 2015
Engaging story about a man who is known for telling wild stories and is disbelieved when he begins to tell stories of cats riding foxes, hunting dogs, and being crowned in the local church. Great illustrations and easy-to-read-aloud writing.
Note added later: I have recently read that this is a very old British folktale, going back to the 1700s, and possibly as early as the 1500s. And it was the inspiration for one of Logan's favorite series, Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel books, starting with Carbonel: The King of Cats.
Note added later: I have recently read that this is a very old British folktale, going back to the 1700s, and possibly as early as the 1500s. And it was the inspiration for one of Logan's favorite series, Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel books, starting with Carbonel: The King of Cats.
September 29, 2021
Loved this book. Must own.
November 21, 2020
A nice story time read.
May 1, 2022
Lovely fairy tale story, beautiful illustrations.
October 15, 2013
We just read The Princess Mouse: A Tale of Finland and decided to check out Aaron Shepard's website at www.aaronshep.com. We saw that he had a whole list of different stories, reader's theater scripts and videos of him narrating his stories.
We listened to him narrate this book aloud in a video, and it was highly amusing. It was a combination of a video of the picture book pages, similar to what we see on www.Tumblebooks.com, with cuts to the author as he read aloud. His expressions are hilarious and we loved to hear him meow. The story is humorous and a bit strange.
The illustrations are colorful and we loved the pictures of the anthropomorphized cats. We enjoyed listening to this story together.
We listened to him narrate this book aloud in a video, and it was highly amusing. It was a combination of a video of the picture book pages, similar to what we see on www.Tumblebooks.com, with cuts to the author as he read aloud. His expressions are hilarious and we loved to hear him meow. The story is humorous and a bit strange.
The illustrations are colorful and we loved the pictures of the anthropomorphized cats. We enjoyed listening to this story together.
November 7, 2011
The illustrations are definitely the book's strong point. The story is very simple and has a good moral, and the pictures are just easy to look at.
January 24, 2012
Funny, I knew this story as a readers theater first, enjoyed the book version.
June 8, 2016
Interesting retelling of a English folktale.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews