Carbonel The King of the Cats

Now in paperback, a story about a girl and her magical talking pet cat, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland

Rosemary’s plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can’t even afford to keep. But appearances can be deceiving. Some old ladies are witches, some brooms can fly, and some ordinary-looking cats are Princes of the Royal Blood. Rosemary’s cat (“You may call me Carbonel. That is my name” ) soon enlists her help in an adventure to free him from a hideous spell and return him to his rightful throne. But along the way Rosemary and her friend John must do some clever sleuthing, work a little magic of their own, and—not least—put up with the demands of a very haughty cat. Carbonel’s adventures continue in The Kingdom of Carbonel and Carbonel and Calidor.

Barbara Sleigh (1906–1982) worked for the BBC Children’s Hour and is the author of Carbonel and two sequels: The Kingdom of Carbonel and Carbonel and Calidor.

V. H. Drummond (1911–2000) was a British author and illustrator whose books included Phewtus the Squirrel and Mrs. Easter’s Parasol.