All cats can talk if they want, but most cats don't wish to do so. Gareth, however, is unique: he talks to Jason, his boy companion (cats don't have owners), and takes Jason with him on nine adventures, one for each of his nine lives. They start in ancient Egypt, and travel forward through history in leaps and bounds, experiencing some of history's most pivotal ages and meeting some of its most colorful characters.

It's a delightful romp through history, and my daughter and I found occasion to pause many times and discuss historical eras and events. But if she were reading it on her own, I'm sure she would have missed many of the historical references -- St. Patrick and the snakes, for example. And I'm not sure the description was sufficiently indelible that she'd be able to recall it when she finally does learn about St. Patrick (in school or elsewhere). Granted, my daughter's only eight, but I think even twelve- or thirteen-year-olds, for whom the book is really written, would miss a lot of the references. I'm sure my sister and I both did, when we read it years ago.

The story is no less enjoyable for that, but I do think Alexander could have more fully explained the context of some of the periods into which Gareth and Jason travel. Nevertheless, it's a fun read with some pretty impressive characters and funny moments. Overall, a cute book for younger readers, with something in it for the grown-ups, too... and with some great teaching moments. :)

Cute and fun. The last chapter gets a little annoying, with a heavy-handed 'there was a LESSON in this' message, but overall it's pretty neat. Interesting mix of places/people, with a few where they may have had an important influence on major historical characters, and others where the people they meet are very unlikely to have made any major mark on history, they just make an interesting story. Overall, not bad, not wonderful. ( )

If you are either a history or cat fan than I highly recommend this book. Although it does lean towards being a kid's book, you won't walk away from it without learning something new.... ( )

This children's book reads like a kid's-eye-tour of ancient history. Jason and his cat, Gareth, travel through time to nine different historical times/places (everything from ancient Egypt to 1600's Germany) and experience brief adventures in each. The adventures get a little repetitive if you read too much of the story at once, but this would be perfect for reading aloud a chapter at a time and sparking a child's interest in times past.

A fine time travel adventure with a cat -- what could be better? ( )