The Town Cats and Other Tales [Mass Market Paperback]

Lloyd Alexander (Author), Laszlo Kubrnyi (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Meet Baraka, the cat who plays chess more cunningly than any human Pescato, who acts as mayor for a day and dupes royalty; and other cats who befriend, aid, and outwit their human companions. As in Time Can Lloyd Alexander brings these felines to life with his trademark verve, making sure you'll never take a cat for granted again!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alexander works his usual magic with these eight tales of remarkable felines: in one, Pescato and a mayor trade places to outwit a royal villain; in another, Quickset tricks a greedy grocer with the promise of a golden egg. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141301228
• ISBN-13: 978-0141301228
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,053,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( A ) > Alexander, Lloyd

More About the Author

Few writers have inspired as much affection and interest among readers young and old as Lloyd Alexander. At one point, however, it seemed unlikely that he would ever be a writer at all. His parents could not afford to send him to college. And so when a Philadelphia bank had an opening for a messenger boy, he went to work there. Finally, having saved some money, he quit and went to a local college. Dissatisfied with not having learned enough to be a writer he left at the end of one term. Adventure, he decided was the best way. The United States had already entered World War II. Convinced that here was a chance for real deeds of derring-do, he joined the army -- and was promptly shipped to Texas where he became, in disheartening succession an artilleryman, a cymbal player in the band, an organist in the post chapel, and a first-aid man. At last, he was assigned to a military intelligence center in Maryland. There he trained as a member of a combat team to be parachuted into France to work with the Resistance. "This, to my intense relief, did not happen," says Alexander. Instead, Alexander and his group sailed to Wales to finish their training. This ancient, rough-hewn country, with its castles, mountains, and its own beautiful language made a tremendous impression on him. But not until years later did he realize he had been given a glimpse of another enchanted kingdom. Alexander was sent to Alsace-Lorraine, the Rhineland, and southern Germany. When the war ended, he was assigned to a counterintelligence unit in Paris. Later he was discharged to attend the University of Paris. While a student he met a beautiful Parisian girl, Janine, and they soon married. Life abroad was fascinating, but eventually Alexander longed for home. The young couple went back to Drexel Hill, near Philadelphia, where Alexander wrote novel after novel which publishers unhesitatingly turned down. To earn his living, he worked as a cartoonist, advertising writer, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. It took seven years of constant rejection before his first novel was at last published. During the next ten years, he wrote for adults. And then he began writing for young people.Doing historical research for Time Cat he discovered material on Welsh mythology. The result was The Book of Three and the other chronicles of Prydain, the imaginary kingdom being something like the enchanted land of Wales. In The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen Alexander explored yet another fantastic world. Evoking an atmosphere of ancient China, this unique multi-layered novel was critically acclaimed as one of his finest works. Trina Schart Hyman illustrated The Fortune-tellers as a Cameroonian folktale sparkling with vibrant images, keen insight and delicious wit. Most of the books have been written in the form of fantasy. But fantasy, Alexander believes, is merely one of many ways to express attitudes and feelings about real people, real human relationships and problems

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever cats, foolish humans, August 22, 2003

By 

Chrijeff (Scranton, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Town Cats and Other Tales (Mass Market Paperback)

"Never take a cat for granted!," warns the back-cover copy of this collection, and Alexander, like myself, has obviously enjoyed a long association with felines and knows whereof he speaks. I originally read this book out of the library years ago and was delighted to find it back in print. Any child (or adult) for whom Puss-in-Boots was a major hero will want to have it in his collection. Alexander's cat-heroes, from Pescaro, who dupes an unwelcome royal bureaucrat in the title story, through Witling in "The Apprentice Cat," may all be able to talk, but otherwise they clearly *think* like cats--sometimes to the detriment of the people around them. (As Mark Twain famously declared, "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would be an improvement for the man, and a comedown for the cat.") There's Margot, who helps a princess marry the man she wants; Baraka, who plays chess and teaches the sultan a valuable lesson; Quickset, who relieves his village of the tyranny of a greedy storekeeper; Vaska, who shows his human the folly of trying to imitate one's betters; Hillesum, who saves the career of the painter he lives with; and the Master of Revels, who helps the fiddler Nicholas earn the recognition that is his proper due. Laszlo Kubinyi's illustrations are as delightful as the stories (don't miss the vignette on the title page). This book will remain on my shelf till the floor falls through.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS THE CAT'S WHISKERS!, June 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Town Cats and Other Tales (Mass Market Paperback)

Lloyd Alexander is one pro-feline author, since he has written other books starring cats: THE TIME CAT and THE CAT WHO WANTED TO BE A MAN. This is a delightful little book--featuring a bold tom garbed in a cloak, who reminds me of that clever, fabled Puss in Boots. The premise of these 8 tales is simple: the cats, talk, dress and interact with humans quite naturally, although certain feline characteristics remain.

While the cats featured in each tale exhibit wit and wisdom, the merely human characters prove absurdly lacking in these desirable qualities; it takes a cat to get many of them out of their scrapes. The people prove vain, gullible, mean or greedy. However most cats are smart enough to be content with themselves just as they are. One tale provides us with an underlying theme: no cat worth his whiskers wants to be what he is not; better a cat than a (human) jackass!

The settings for these tales are not specififed, but there is a definite European flavor; the names of the characters give hints: Italy, France, Poland, Holland, England, the Middle East, and some place out of Grimm. Alexander's style is light and lively; with wry humor he pokes fun at human foibles as viewed through the intelligent eyes of cats. This is a quick and enjoyable read--a must for all cat lovers. When it comes to the short story genre, Kitka rates this a full Nine Lives!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book For All People!, January 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Town Cats and Other Tales (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a great book about many cats who have saved the day! One of the cats saved a town from a being ruled by a king. Another cat painted a picture and reminded people better to be cats than fools. One cat even let a princess marry who she wanted. This story has many different, wonderful stories about cats that can do remarkable things. I would reccomend this book to anyone even if they dislike cats!