Captain Whiskers

Cats in the bath! Cats in the cupboards! Cats and more cats everywhere!

Everyone in Jackson’s class has a pet, but all Jackson has is his little brother Freddie. And little brothers don’t make very good pets. But when Jackson meets The Man With The Top Hat and his lovely cat Mrs Wilson, he’s about to get the pet he’s always wanted – and many, many more …

This fun book is part of Barrington Stoke's Little Gems series - short, first chapter books with bright illustrations that are perfect for emerging readers (5-8). It has a dyslexia friendly layout that makes it clear and accessible to a large range of readers.

Jackson is desperate for a pet. When a man in a top hat offers to give him some of his (100 to be exact!), he agrees, certain the old man must be joking. But when he gets home, there are 101 cats in his house. 101 might be too many, but if the man takes 100 back, maybe what's left will be just right...

My five-year-old really enjoyed reading this story out loud to me. She needed a but of help, but I think in another year she could read this to herself. It's a good level of difficulty and the bright, funny illustrations make it easy to follow and interact with.

We giggled throughout Captain Whiskers and especially loved all of the cats' names. We don't have any pets, so Jackson's predicament was familiar to my daughter (luckily allergies mean that she's not now on the look out for her own top-hatted pet provider!) He was a thoughtful and likeable protagonist, who many readers will identify with.

Captain Whiskers is written by Jeremy Strong and illustrated by Matt Robertson. 

Thank you Barrington Stoke for sending us a copy to review.