Author: Michael Morpurgo
Illustrator: Michael Foreman
Page Number: 207 pages
Genre: Fiction
Star rating: 5 out of 5
Overview: Johnny Trott was an orphan who works in the Savoy Hotel in London as a bell boy. He lives a perfectly ordinary life; until one day a Russian countess gracefully comes to London and stayed in their hotel, accompanied with her was a sleek and beautiful black cat with a handsome name of Kaspar, the countess proudly told Johnny that Kaspar is the Prince of the cats. Before long, the countess began to have an affection on Johnny because of his excellent behaviours, so she decided to ask Johnny if he could kindly take care of Kaspar in the morning when the countess go to have rehearsals. Johnny promised immediately because he really likes Kaspar. After some time, he and Kaspar began to have affection for each other and finally Kaspar accepted Johnny as his friend and equal. One ordinary day, when the countess crossed the road to the opera, a car crashed into her and before you could say abracadabra, she was as dead as a dodo. After being very sad for a long time, Johnny decided to secretly take Kaspar to his rooms since the head housekeeper doesn’t allow anyone to keep any kind of pets in the bell boy rooms. One normal day, when Johnny got back from work at lunch break, he discovered that the little girl the Stantons (one of the customers of the hotel at that time) have was in his room feeding Kaspar; she was drawn into his room when she heard a cat’s cry. After some time, they began to know better of each other and made very good friends. A lot of months later, Lezziebeth (the Stantons’ girl’s name) and her family are going back to America on sail of the Titanic and Johnny actually stowed away on the Titanic because he could bear to let Lezziebeth go back to America. I believe everyone knows what happens to the Titanic……….would the Stantons and Johnny sink with the Titanic?
Comments: I really like this heartwarming book, I especially like Kaspar because he is not only an extremely intelligent cat, but also he is very cute. I sincerely think that they are very fortunate to survive the sinking of the Titanic. I also think that when the author- Michael Morpurgo wrote that Johnny saw the reflection of the countess in her room, it is really mysterious and I think it is very amazing that somehow they can all sense her existence. I am also extremely sad when at the end Kaspar died of old age, however when I thought again, I also think that Kaspar died, he still stays in the heart of everyone who loves him. This book is a very heartwarming book indeed, therefore I sincerely recommend this book to everyone and I am almost definite that everyone would like it!
Good and beautiful sentence (s) from the book: “A great joy surged through every one of us, giving us new strength and new determination. Not that any of us cheered, but when we looked at each other now we could manage a smile. We knew we had a chance to survive. Those lights of hope, lights of life, for that’s what they were for us, drove away the darkness of our despair.
