When young Pilgrim Faith Barrett discovers a stray cat on the Mayflower, she names her new friend Pounce. Together they face the long, cramped voyage and the perils of the first winter at the Plymouth colony. But in the summer, Pounce vanishes. When Faith finds her cat, the wonderful reason for Pounce’s disappearance becomes clear. At the harvest celebration that fall, there is much for Faith to be thankful for!
With a pleasing variety of layouts and perspectives, Ettlinger’s soft watercolors portray the setting and add emotion to the narrative. The attention-grabbing cover features the cat, large in the foreground, with a scene of settlement life in the background. An excellent choice for units on the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving and for holiday picture-book collections.
The child’s perspective, the inclusion of a cuddly warm cat, and the well-researched illustrations will bring readers back again and again. Watercolor illustrations are delicate and accurately rendered, complementing the gentle but interesting Thanksgiving tale.
This charming story of a feline stowaway aboard the Mayflower provides an approachable introduction to the Colonial period, even though Pounce the cat and Faith, Pounce’s fellow passenger and the story’s narrator, are fictional. Details in both text and art are grounded in historical fact, including the Pilgrims’ desire to worship as they please; the cramped, wet conditions aboard the ship; and the Pilgrims’ initially amicable relations with Native Americans.
The progressive plot of Faith’s journey and early settlement at Plymouth is skillfilly woven with simple historical details.
