by Kara Fisher

A humorous, rhyming, easy-to-read book, The Cat Who Learned to Sail tells the tale of a landlubber cat who gets taken to sea early one morning. With detailed pencil cartoons by Bobby Basnight, the illustrations take us through her adventures on a small sailing craft, teaching the reader as she "learns the ropes".

Written by Niki Silvers in verse, the book explains the differences of life on a boat in a simple but effective fashion suitable for ages three and up. The cat, Sterling Silvers, compares the parts of a boat with the parts of a house, teaching basic boat terminology to a young audience. By becoming seasick her first day, Sterling Silvers brings a touch of reality to the scene and keeps the reader's attention, making it a book with qualities that will stand the test of time. It also has the appeal of simplistic wording that will encourage children to read for themselves, keeping it up on the shelf next to Dr. Seuss' books for years. Parents will like the reference to boat safety in a line about the value of wearing your PFD when Sterling gets tossed overboard.

The exaggerated cartoons and Niki Silvers' poetry add a sparkle of laughter to the book and will gain many a chuckle form children and their parents. The precision of the drawings brings to life the sea and the atmosphere of boating, making young landlubbers want to jump in and experience the art of sailing for themselves.