Kaspar: Prince of Cats: Amazon.co.uk: Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman: Books

Product Description

A heart-warming, colour-illustrated novel about Kaspar the Savoy cat, from the award-winning author of Born to Run and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips

Kaspar the cat first came to the Savoy Hotel in a basket - Johnny Trott knows, because he was the one who carried him in. Johnny was a bell-boy, you see, and he carried all of Countess Kandinsky's things to her room.

But Johnny didn't expect to end up with Kaspar on his hands forever, and nor did he count on making friends with Lizziebeth, a spirited American heiress. Pretty soon, events are set in motion that will take Johnny - and Kaspar - all around the world, surviving theft, shipwreck and rooftop rescues along the way. Because everything changes with a cat like Kaspar around. After all, he's Prince Kaspar Kandinsky, Prince of Cats, a Muscovite, a Londoner and a New Yorker, and as far as anyone knows, the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic…

From the Author

I'm a story detective. I hunt down clues because I need evidence to write my stories. So what was the evidence behind the writing of Kaspar?

A year ago I was asked to be Writer-in-Residence at the Savoy Hotel in London. This involved putting on some literary events and staying for three months at the Savoy. My wife Clare and I had a bed the size of Ireland, and breakfast every morning looking out over the Thames. Everyone in the hotel was very kind. We were treated like royalty - which was great!

Then one day, in the corridor next to the American Bar, I met Kaspar, the Savoy Cat. He was sitting there in a glass showcase - a sculpture of a huge black cat - very elegant, very superior. I made enquiries, as detectives do, and found out why he was there.

One day, almost a hundred years ago, thirteen men sat down to a dinner party at the Savoy. One of them scoffed loudly at the suggestion that thirteen might be an unlucky number, said it was so much tosh. Only a few weeks later, he was shot down in his office in Johannesburg, South Africa. Thereafter The Savoy decided that they would never again allow thirteen people to sit down together for dinner. They would always have a fourteenth chair, and sitting on the fourteenth chair, there would be a specially carved sculpture of a lucky black cat. He was known as Kaspar.
My first clue.

My second clue: I came down to breakfast one morning, and was walking down the red carpeted stairs into the River Restaurant, when I looked up and had a sudden sense of déjà vu. The whole decor and atmosphere reminded me of pictures I'd seen of the restaurant on the Titanic. I knew then my story would be about a cat called Kaspar, who would live at the Savoy and become the only cat to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

But it was the people who lived and worked at the Savoy who gave me my last and most vital clue. I discovered that they came from every corner of the globe. And I soon discovered also that their lives were very different from the lives of the guests they looked after. It would have been very much like this, I thought, in 1912, at the time the Titanic went down.

My evidence was complete. A little dreamtime, to make some sense of all the clues, and I could begin my story, about how Kaspar was brought to the Savoy by a very famous diva - an opera singer, a Countess from Russia...
Michael Morpurgo

See all Product Description

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful

Another beautifully written masterpiece 14 Nov 2008

By A. Rhodes

Format:Hardcover

My eight year old daughter and I are devoted Michael Morpurgo fans and Kaspar is undoubtedly our favourite so far. Beautifully illustrated and told with great empathy for the human and animal subjects. In all his stories he tackles big issues for children to understand and the portrayal of the sinking of the Titanic is no exception. Even so he kept us both gripped and the ending brought a lump to my throat. Whether you are a devotee or a first time reader you will not be disappointed.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful

Wonderful 9 Dec 2008

By Meldorf

Kaspar is about Johnny Trott, a bell boy in the Savoy Hotel in London, who is an orphan. He is trusted with the duty of looking after a guest's cat but this cat is no ordinary cat; it is the prince of all cats. He becomes good friends with a rich girl called Elisabeth and he stows away on the Titanic so that he can be with her. But the Titanic hits an iceberg and he is the one to tell Elisabeth and her family that the ship is sinking. At the last minute he realises that he has forgotten the cat and he must go and fetch him.
Sometimes everything seems to be going badly for Johnny but things are never as bad as you may think. It has a more than satisfying conclusion.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

cute! 3 Mar 2011

By sugaspicekiki

Format:Paperback

I was in an impulsive mood when i bought this, seen it had a cute black cat on the cover like mine snapped it up,read the blurb on the back it mentioned the titanic,thought it sounded interesting so i got it.Now bearing in mind im 21 an this is a kids book i really enjoyed it lol not that it bothers me its a kids book as i read anything that appeals an many diff books.Its a nice happy story apart from some bits obviously cuz the titanics in it but i thought the author was very good the way he covered it, its more based around the cat than actually about it but i enjoyed the story and im sure any child would love this,i defo would have when i was a kid

kaspar: prince of cats

Although this is a childrens book I found it really enjoyable,but being an animal lover helps,people will still enjoy this story if they are,nt animal lovers. Read more

Published 1 month ago by rock,roll

One of the best books ever!

I absolutley loved this book. It is undoubtably the best book I have ever read. I am a massive Michael Morpurgo fan and love stories about the titanic so I knew this was the book... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Haris

Kasper Prince Of Cats

Kasper Prince Of Cats is an amazing story! when i was 6 my mum read it to me and it is still my favourite book in the world!i am now 10 and i have reccomened it to all my friends. Read more

Published 3 months ago by fireworks

A fabulous book for children and adults alike!

This is a beautifully written story which I first read myself aged 26 and have since shared with nieces, nephews and classes of children in school. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Bookworm

Titanic Trouble for Kaspar Cat!

Like most of Morpurgo's books, this is another engaging and emotional animal story. The story is set in the year 1912, and the setting for the tale is the Savoy Hotel in London. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Puzzle crazy

Kaspar Prince of cats

Ordered this book for my daughter after Her class had been reading it at school. Within minutes of recieving it she was sat silently on the sofa reading it. Read more

Published 9 months ago by naylor11474

A classic children's book - a great read, with a little learning.

I've been reading this one with my 7 yr old at bedtime, and it went down a storm. It was her first Morpurgo, and she's keen to read more. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Mrs. B. S. Kemp

Both a wonderful story and a wonderful book

This is just a captivating book in which Foreman's beautiful watercolours illustrate a text by Morpugo which is never sentimental or forced, simply a really good story that informs... Read more

Published 10 months ago by Jo Bennie

Kasper The Prince of Cats

This book was very spectacular and interesting.
Although it was a bit tragic with the sinking of the Titanic and a car crash, I still enjoyed it. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Amy

Kaspar: Prince of Cats [Hardcover]

Formats

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product details

More About the Author

Product Description

Product Description

From the Author

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

Customer Discussions

Start a new discussion

Listmania!

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject

Feedback