cover image Henry the Sailor Cat

Henry the Sailor Cat

Mary Calhoun. HarperCollins Publishers, $16 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-688-10840-3

In his fourth adventure, Henry the Siamese cat, star of High-Wire Henry , takes to sailing like a duck to water. After the first moments of queasiness have passed, he is scampering up the mast, marveling at dolphins and enjoying the feel of the breeze in his fur. And when one of his human sailing companions tumbles overboard, he proves himself handy with a slipknot and endowed wth razor-sharp vision. This unlikely but enjoyable tale is brightly told, with the world viewed through Henry's eyes; it seems that cats and children share similar enthusiasms when it comes to sailing. Henry happily occupies center stage; other characters are reduced to The Man, The Woman and The Kid, friendly peripheral figures. Light-splashed watercolors capture the varying blue tones of sky and sea, and, as in other Henry outings, the realistic artwork lends a touch of authenticity to far-fetched feline antics. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)