“Titanicat” by Marty Crisp, illustrated by Robert Papp.
Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, Michigan, 2008, 40 pages, Grades 1-3.
The voyage of the Titanic continues to generate books for adults and children. The story of the “unsinkable” luxury liner is a tale of extravagance and the prideful idea that nothing in the natural world could overcome human engineering. How could a ship, 10 stories tall and the length of four football fields sink on its maiden voyage? Supposedly engineered against every natural element, the Titanic stands as a warning about the limitations of human thinking.
On the fatal trip were 2,228 passengers. About 1,500 travelers died the night the ship collided with the iceberg, but some people survived through amazing coincidences. Marty Crisp tells the story of the reason one young Irish boy is saved from this disaster. The name of the book is “Titanicat.”
The Titanic is named 401 in the Belfast shipyards. It is considered bad luck to give the ship its real name before the launching. On the dock, young Jim Mulholland stands ready to begin the adventure of a lifetime. He is going to be a cabin boy on the great vessel.
When he boards the liner, Chief Steward Latimer welcomes Jim aboard. He also gives Jim the responsibility to take care of the ship’s cat. Since the Titanic was once called the 401, Jim gives that name to the ship’s cat. For several days, Jim is busy with all of his chores. He polishes the beautiful deck chairs and wanders throughout the beautiful levels of the majestic Titanic. All the time, he needs to keep 401 from leaving the ship. Since the cat symbolizes good luck for the voyage, why is she always trying to get off? Jim finds her with four kittens one day and now has to look after five cats.
After several nearby night-practice runs, the Titanic is ready for sailing. The first stop is Southampton, England. The final passengers begin boarding for the passage across the Atlantic Ocean. Suddenly, Jim spies 401 hurrying down the gang plank with a kitten in her mouth. He sees one last kitten on board, while 401 is on the dock with three of the kittens. Holding the last kitten, Jim has a decision to make. His job is to watch 401. But if he leaves, the Titanic will sail without him. What does he do?
Does Jim take the kitten to 401? Do they make it back on the Titanic? Does Jim realize his dream of sailing to the United States? Does the boy act responsibly? What would you do if you were Jim? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this intriguing book.
“Titanicat” was selected by the K-3 students in Nebraska as the Golden Sower winner for picture books in 2011. This means it was the most popular K-3 picture book that year. It is easy to understand why. Jim Mulholland’s story will appeal to people of all ages. He is caught between living his legitimate dreams and acting with sacrificial courage. The choices he makes will define his character. This makes Jim easy to root for. He is a genuinely good and courageous person.
The pictures in this book are beautiful and inspiring. The first picture of 401 will steal your heart. The cat was taken onto the Titanic to bring the ship good luck. As it turns out, someone else was lucky enough to get that good fortune.
I hope you take a chance to check out this book. It is a great read-aloud. You will enjoy sharing the story and the pictures with a younger reader. Golden Sower winners are always fun to read. Give yourself a treat, read “Titanicat” by Marty Crisp. Enjoy!
