Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Songha: The Amazing Savannah Cat

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love when I enjoy a book and also learn from it, and that was the case with this work by author, Linda R. Caterine. "The Adventures Of Songha," take us on a journey through the eyes of a frisky, independent, yet adorable cat named, Songha.

Songha is not your ordinary house cat, as she will be quick to tell you, she is a beautiful Savannah cat. What is that? Songha is half African Serval leopard and half domestic. What a combination. Her domesticated side gives her a personality that will allow her to be a house pet, but her African Serval leopard side drives her to adventure and freedom.

Songha lives in a home with a family and a close friend, Simba, a Bengal cat, who doesn't understand Songha's need to have times of freedom and exploring. Bengal tries time after time to convince Songha to stay within the safety of their home, but Songha cannot control the stirrings within her. Songha uses her bright mind and resourceful ways to escape the protection of her human home, and many exciting adventures follow, including a battle of wits between Songha and a very mean Coyote. Unfortunately, her human family does not appreciate this side of Songha, nor do they understand her yearning to run free from time to time. Songha learns much both from her adventures and also what the love and protection of a family means.

This is a very interesting book. Not only do you learn about this rare cat, but you are entertained along the way. The author tells the story through the eyes of Songha and that truly was a fun experience because if nothing else, Songha knows her worth and enjoys letting others know as well. She is witty, adventurous, entertaining, and definitely a handful for her owners, yet she gives her owners much pride and joy having her in the family. The black and white illustrations gave the story just enough visual to bring Songha into the mind's eye, and the book is enhanced with poems along the way to bring more light to our beloved cat, Songha, and her life.

I recommend this book. All who read it will learn much about a beautiful animal, and will giggle along the way at her strong will and adventurous spirit. Well done, a book both young and old will treasure.

A touching story of a mixed breed cat that is half African leopard. We see the cat through its life with its human owners and its wild side. After each chapter, there is a poem that basically reviews what happened. I thought the story was interesting, creative and cute.

Linda R.Caterine, a mother of four, loves cats. Her own cat inspired her to write this story.

The Adventures of Songha, The Amazing Savannah Cat is a wonderful story of a Savannah cat called Songha. The story is written in the first person, in a diary- like style, that makes readers of all ages have direct contact with the cat and her life. There are eight chapters in this book and each chapter ends with a poem.

There are beautiful black and white illustrations throughout the book. The cover image is quite attractive as well as the overall presence of the book.

This book is enjoyable to read, it is educational and readers can learn a lot about the Savannah cat. Get this book from www.Amazon.com


Liana Metal, author of Storytime

Wow, what a very cute book. Written in a cat's perspective, it's more of a young readers title, or for serious cat aficionados. I myself have an interest in obtaining a `Savannah' cat in the future, so I've been looking for anything `Savannah'.

In this book, the author conveys the `wild' side of these cats and it's a way for the reader to get a sense of the maintenance and dedication one will have to invest in with `Savannah' F1 feline.

The stories are adorable, and it has happy ending :)
It was fun to read.

-Edward
(Biased cat lover)

REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker

Songha is a Savannah cat, a relatively new breed that is part African Serval Wildcat and part domestic cat. Her temperament is basically that of a traditional domestic cat, but her restless wildcat blood drives her to seek out adventure. The book relates how her father was brought from the Kalahari Desert in Africa and how she was taken from her father to live with her new family in Las Vegas, NV, that not only includes her masters but their children and two other cats, Simba and George. Told from Songha's own viewpoint, the story explains how, disappointed about being kept inside the house, she longs to go outside and roam free, so she begins to search for ways to escape for just a while. Will she make it? If so, what might the results be? And what happens when a Savannah cat meets a coyote?

Linda Caterine and her husband, who live in the Las Vegas area, became interested in Savannah cats a few years ago and now breed them. After acquiring Songha, she felt that the cat's experiences would make a wonderful children's story. The Walkers are a family of cat lovers, so this book is a hit at our house! Linda's portrayal of Songha, who considers herself the "African Leopard Queen" not only of the house but of the entire neighborhood, is in perfect keeping with the typical cat personality. The importance of family and the virtues of courage and bravery are emphasized. Each chapter ends with a poem summarizing its contents. As this is the first ever children's book about Savannah cats to be published, the reader cannot help but learn a lot about this rare breed and be amazed at their antics. This book is definitely a keeper!

Songha is a cross between a Serval, a small spotted African wildcat, and a domestic cat. This rare breed is half-wild and half-tame. Savannah was bred in the Savannah cattery in Tacoma, Washington. After Linda Caterine became the proud owner of one of these beautiful animals, she thought her experiences with Songha would make for an interesting story.

And, it did. Songha's story is told from the cat's point of view, giving the narrative an interesting perspective. The reader learns much about this rare and wonderful breed of cat by following the tale of Songha's adventures as the book is loaded with facts and information about Savannah cats. There are also websites given where the reader can go for additional information.

I liked the idea the story but I have a couple of mild criticisms. Although having the story told from the cat's perspective was good, I would have also liked to hear the story from the owner's perspective. Perhaps alternating chapters, from the two points-of-view would have been better. Just a thought...

Each chapter ends with a poem that sums up the action in that chapter. The poems at the end of each chapter are okay, but I don't really see how they add anything to the story. Maybe that's just a personal quirk of mine and other people like this additional text more than I do.

But, like I said, overall, the story is a good one packed with facts about these exotic cats. 4 stars.

By the time I finished this book I couldn't help but like it. If I were to give it a rating based on the first third of the book it might well have gotten a 2-star or maybe a 3. But the style of the book changed sufficiently as I read on, and I had a good feeling when I finished the last page.

Story books, whether they are for preschoolers, young adults, or grownups need to have a strong first chapter. One that will immediately grab the reader and force them to turn the pages in order to finish the book instead of toss it aside and forget about it. I didn't like the front part of this book because it came across too much as a biography or resume of the main cat character - Songha. And to make matters worse, I found the prose to be kind of juvenile in nature. Basically I felt like I was reading baby talk. Apparently the author was having trouble finding her writing voice.

But after I finished Chapter 3 the real book for me found its way to the forefront. We started hearing a story! Young Songha was going to start interacting with her housemates. She was going to do some escape work. And she was going to get into a little trouble, too. By the end of the book it was clear that Songha was quite a cat. And I was happy I had had an opportunity to read her story. 4 stars!

Cat-Lover Alert! Check out The Adventures of Songha by Linda R. Caterine and bow to the beauty of "The African Queen!"

With a beautiful cover featuring Songha by Robert Knight and fascinating sketches by William Dye throughout the book, Linda Caterine has created both an informative and exciting children's book. If you are a cat lover, like I am--you'll love it, no matter what age!

Songha is a Savannah cat, who comes from Kalahari, an African desert. Her father, Rafu Dubwana, who, now lives in America, is an African Serval Leopard. Once breeded, his daughter, Songha became "one of a kind." This is her story!

If this story is not totally true, it is this reviewer's guess that it is "almost" true and based upon the antics of Songha. You see, there is one important thing that differentiates Songha. She is half-wild and even though her mother was domesticated, her "wild side" just has to come out some time!

So, although she is greatly loved by her human family and by her companion, Simba, who also has a leopard ancestry, Songha has one great desire--to run free and learn about her kingdom! And, indeed, on every occasion possible, she has managed to escape her home!

First, she had to meet George, a long-haired gray Persian, who wanted nothing to do with Songha--not that Songha cared much, except she had seen that the Persian was able to go in and out of the house through a small door! Songha planned on going through that door as well! In fact, she had been quite perturbed to know that George was able to go out, while, she the Queen, was not!

At last Songha made it through the door! But then she was caught by a shape-shifter! The next time, she met Jacques Cousteau and with his guidance, she met everybody in the neighborhood, who later became her friends...and subjects of her kingdom...

Why? Because they saw or heard about her amazing skills--she could do things that none of them could do! And, because she had saved them from "El Diablo!"

Caterine entertains us with poetry and prose as she shares the adventures of Songha:

...No one has seen him to this day
And no one knows his fate,
And now my little Kingdom's safe
There are no more complaints
El Diablo is a "Legend"
And my friends think I'm a "Saint..."

This rare exotic cat will win your heart! She may retain some of that wildness, but who among us does not admire and rejoice in seeing the great cat beasts of the world. This one of a kind cat, now "somewhat" domesticated has much to give to human families.

Come, learn of the Savannah cat--in The Adventures of Songha by Linda Caterine. This would be a wonderful holiday gift for your children...and plan on reading it for your own enjoyment! I know I did!

G. A. Bixler

The Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa is home to the African Serval Leopard. While large, they generally are less than 50 pounds. The only weight given here is that the father of Songha is a full-breed Serval and weighs 40 pounds. One point necessary for this story is that the Serval can be successfully crossbred with a domestic cat, which is Songha's parentage. While a kitten, a family in Las Vegas adopts her and this is her story, told from her perspective. It is also presented at the level of the middle school student, so it is well within the understanding grasp of almost all readers.
Given that she is the offspring of a wild father and domesticated mother, Songha is larger and more aggressive than the typical cat. Her desires to roam are stronger than that of most cats, so a great deal of her time and intellectual energy are spent in plotting to escape from her house and yard. Songha is able to do so on occasion and live out her self-professed role as an African Queen. She interacts well with the other cats in the neighborhood and her increased athleticism allows her to escape from neighborhood dogs and even a coyote.
This is a simple tale told well, short segments of poetic verse are inserted to emphasize certain points of the story. While I knew that the bobcat native to Iowa had been crossbred with domestic cats, until I read this book I was unaware that any cat considered a leopard had ever been crossbred with a cat. As I read the tale of Songha's adventures, I often wondered how difficult the breeding process would be, as the size differential would have to be considerable between a forty-pound Serval and the typical house cat of 10-15 pounds.

The Adventures of Songha is a great children's book. As a cat-owner and Aunt, I enjoyed reading about Songha's misadventures to my nephews and nieces, who were as excited as I was to find out what happened next. The Songha character captures perfectly the proud arrogance of a superior feline. She is fun, exasperating, clever, curious, and always adventurous. Just the right blend that will interest the kids. In addition to the humor and adventure, there is also an excellent message regarding family. I recommend this book for 7-13 year olds.