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Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats
From World War II London to outer space, meet the coolest cats in history in a colorful illustrated compendium of famous felines and cat facts.
Drawing from the thrilling lives of more than 30 adorable cats throughout history, Kimberlie Hamilton retells the fascinating tales of cats through the centuries. Meet Mrs. Chippy, a cat who joined a daring ocean journey to Antarctica, or Simon, the only cat to receive a medal for wartime bravery, and dozens more. Filled with colorful depictions of each cat and feline facts throughout, this is the perfect gift for cat and history lovers alike.
Drawing from the thrilling lives of more than 30 adorable cats throughout history, Kimberlie Hamilton retells the fascinating tales of cats through the centuries. Meet Mrs. Chippy, a cat who joined a daring ocean journey to Antarctica, or Simon, the only cat to receive a medal for wartime bravery, and dozens more. Filled with colorful depictions of each cat and feline facts throughout, this is the perfect gift for cat and history lovers alike.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 6, 2021
This was so cute. It was full of illustrations by many different artists, and they were all well done and a good fit for the book. The book gives a one-page account (in alphabetical order) of cats around the world (and various time periods) that became famous for one reason or another. In between each cat bio are pages of facts and trivia about cats. I thought I knew a lot already, but I still found a lot of fun surprises.
TW: Some of the cats experienced injuries or abuse, usually before being found and made famous. Some had sad deaths.
Cats rule. That is all.
TW: Some of the cats experienced injuries or abuse, usually before being found and made famous. Some had sad deaths.
Cats rule. That is all.
November 12, 2020
Well this was certainly different: a celebration of cats that’s too disturbing for me to recommend wholeheartedly to other cat-lovers.
What’s good: Quite a lot. Beautiful illustrations, bite-sized chunks of information, a wide range of countries, historical context about felines, a timeline—the list goes on and on. I appreciated the mini-biographies for the 30 courageous cats, but I also liked that in between these sections, the author included things that expanded the focus beyond these 30 felines. For example, one section describes a cat’s physical characteristics. Another lists cats with amazing survival stories. These aren’t the 30 cats referred to in the title; they’re simply other cats who are noteworthy. Quick, informative, and fun.
What’s troubling: The cat deaths. Or maybe it’s not just the deaths themselves, but the vague way the book hints at them. For example, there was a cat sent into outer space. She survived the journey and returned safely to Earth. The author makes a big deal about saying that this cat survived the trip; she went to space and lived to tell about it. The author also says that scientists were interested in learning what effects the space travel had had on her brain. And that’s it. Except at the bottom of each cat’s page are the years for its birth and death, and this cat’s death year is the same as her spaceflight. So my initial reaction was horror, because it sounded as though she survived the journey only to be killed by the same scientists who sent her on the mission in the first place . . . and yet I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t stated outright, and so I was left to wonder about it. Eventually, I looked it up, and yes, it was exactly what it sounded like: she came home safely, and they killed her and examined her brain. And now I’m still horrified but also disgusted.
There were other cats whose violent ends are hinted at but never explicitly stated, such as the cat whom pilots took in their planes during WWII missions in 1945. It also died in 1945. (That isn’t a coincidence.) I can’t decide how I feel about this particular approach. I expect that she’s trying to shield her child viewers from something uncomfortable and upsetting, but she’s dropping enough hints that it might be unsettling anyway. And if the hints go unnoticed, then she’s perhaps being misleading. One final example that seems to go the other direction is that of Mrs. Chippy, a male cat who sailed on Ernest Shackleton’s ship. The cat was named Mrs. Chippy because he belonged to (and constantly followed) the ship’s carpenter, who was called Chippy. When the ship was destroyed by ice, Shackleton decided that they couldn’t risk taking the cat away with them. The author states that they gave the cat its favorite food, and that it lay down for a sleep from which it would never awake. So from this, I knew that the healthy cat was killed. But based on this text, I was picturing a cat freezing to death slowly on the ice, or perhaps drowning. I looked for more information online, and it looks as though the cat was shot. As much as I hate the idea, at least it was a much quicker death than I’d envisioned. So how much information is too little? Are kids going to imagine something that’s worse than it was? Or are children going to assume a happy ending where there wasn’t one, as with the cat in space? Would it have been better for some of these cats to have been left off altogether? I don’t know. I was so distressed after reading the section on Mrs. Chippy that I went back to re-read some of the happier chapters until I felt a little better. So this book was both the cause of and the cure for my disquiet.
To be fair, there were only a few cats with disturbing deaths. Many lived long lives and died of natural causes. Some are still alive at the moment. But between even this small amount of disturbing content and the confusing way that it was handled, I feel compelled to take off a star. I’m giving this one a 4.
What’s good: Quite a lot. Beautiful illustrations, bite-sized chunks of information, a wide range of countries, historical context about felines, a timeline—the list goes on and on. I appreciated the mini-biographies for the 30 courageous cats, but I also liked that in between these sections, the author included things that expanded the focus beyond these 30 felines. For example, one section describes a cat’s physical characteristics. Another lists cats with amazing survival stories. These aren’t the 30 cats referred to in the title; they’re simply other cats who are noteworthy. Quick, informative, and fun.
What’s troubling: The cat deaths. Or maybe it’s not just the deaths themselves, but the vague way the book hints at them. For example, there was a cat sent into outer space. She survived the journey and returned safely to Earth. The author makes a big deal about saying that this cat survived the trip; she went to space and lived to tell about it. The author also says that scientists were interested in learning what effects the space travel had had on her brain. And that’s it. Except at the bottom of each cat’s page are the years for its birth and death, and this cat’s death year is the same as her spaceflight. So my initial reaction was horror, because it sounded as though she survived the journey only to be killed by the same scientists who sent her on the mission in the first place . . . and yet I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t stated outright, and so I was left to wonder about it. Eventually, I looked it up, and yes, it was exactly what it sounded like: she came home safely, and they killed her and examined her brain. And now I’m still horrified but also disgusted.
There were other cats whose violent ends are hinted at but never explicitly stated, such as the cat whom pilots took in their planes during WWII missions in 1945. It also died in 1945. (That isn’t a coincidence.) I can’t decide how I feel about this particular approach. I expect that she’s trying to shield her child viewers from something uncomfortable and upsetting, but she’s dropping enough hints that it might be unsettling anyway. And if the hints go unnoticed, then she’s perhaps being misleading. One final example that seems to go the other direction is that of Mrs. Chippy, a male cat who sailed on Ernest Shackleton’s ship. The cat was named Mrs. Chippy because he belonged to (and constantly followed) the ship’s carpenter, who was called Chippy. When the ship was destroyed by ice, Shackleton decided that they couldn’t risk taking the cat away with them. The author states that they gave the cat its favorite food, and that it lay down for a sleep from which it would never awake. So from this, I knew that the healthy cat was killed. But based on this text, I was picturing a cat freezing to death slowly on the ice, or perhaps drowning. I looked for more information online, and it looks as though the cat was shot. As much as I hate the idea, at least it was a much quicker death than I’d envisioned. So how much information is too little? Are kids going to imagine something that’s worse than it was? Or are children going to assume a happy ending where there wasn’t one, as with the cat in space? Would it have been better for some of these cats to have been left off altogether? I don’t know. I was so distressed after reading the section on Mrs. Chippy that I went back to re-read some of the happier chapters until I felt a little better. So this book was both the cause of and the cure for my disquiet.
To be fair, there were only a few cats with disturbing deaths. Many lived long lives and died of natural causes. Some are still alive at the moment. But between even this small amount of disturbing content and the confusing way that it was handled, I feel compelled to take off a star. I’m giving this one a 4.
July 12, 2020
ENGLISH: Fun one-page stories about famous cats from different epochs.
ESPAÑOL: Historias de una página sobre gatos que han existido de verdad y que se hicieron famosos por varias razones. Es divertido de leer.
ESPAÑOL: Historias de una página sobre gatos que han existido de verdad y que se hicieron famosos por varias razones. Es divertido de leer.
August 25, 2019
@kidlitexchange #partner: Fearless Felines by @kimberlie.hamilton and @scholasticinc. Releases November 5, 2019.
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I cannot express my love for this book. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t stop. I mean, it was midnight and I couldn’t stop reading.
I love all animals and cats happen to be my second-favorite, but I think a person would have to like animals just slightly to find this book delightful. The full-page, adorable illustrations (each by a different artist) burst off the page. Inside are thirty stories of war cats, church cats, cats who saved lives, cats who traveled the world to get back home. Celebrity cats and prime minister cats. There is even a cat who detected cancer. Two different stories of mama cats protecting their babies and getting injured in their place really got to me. Beneath their catitude, they are smart and they love us. Anyone who knows cats knows this to be the case.
Fearless Felines releases November 5th and if you don’t get it, you’re literally missing out on a huge joy in life. Thank you @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this amazing book (one of my new favorites)—all opinions are my own.
#kidlitexchange #fearlessfelines #cats
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I cannot express my love for this book. I read it in one sitting and couldn’t stop. I mean, it was midnight and I couldn’t stop reading.
I love all animals and cats happen to be my second-favorite, but I think a person would have to like animals just slightly to find this book delightful. The full-page, adorable illustrations (each by a different artist) burst off the page. Inside are thirty stories of war cats, church cats, cats who saved lives, cats who traveled the world to get back home. Celebrity cats and prime minister cats. There is even a cat who detected cancer. Two different stories of mama cats protecting their babies and getting injured in their place really got to me. Beneath their catitude, they are smart and they love us. Anyone who knows cats knows this to be the case.
Fearless Felines releases November 5th and if you don’t get it, you’re literally missing out on a huge joy in life. Thank you @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this amazing book (one of my new favorites)—all opinions are my own.
#kidlitexchange #fearlessfelines #cats
July 16, 2019
Content Warnings: Implied animal testing/animal death
As a cat enthusiast, how could I not leap at the chance to review a book like Fearless Felines? Within its covers is a wealth of felines from around the world who have done marvelous things, from feats of courage to giving hope to small towns. Truly inspiring, some of these stories were entirely new to me and I am pleased to be able to share my thoughts today on Kimberlie Hamilton's new book: Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats.
Thank you to Scholastic Inc. for sending me a copy of this book to review.
What I Enjoyed
The format of the book was pleasing and kept my interest as a reader. The 30 courageous felines were featured as promised; interspersed between their entries were smaller features that were just as fascinating.
These smaller entries included cats may have shared a common thread with the previous entry. For example: the Courageous story of Faith, a cat whose insistence on staying in a church basement saved her and her kitten's lives, was followed by a listicle of other cats who were seemingly possessed of a preternatural sense (one cat "knew" when his owner died, another seemingly predicted an avalanche).
Other interspersed pages featured tips such as How To Tell If A Cat Loves You, How To Help Cats In Need, Feline Entrepurr-neurs, and more.
The various art styles were all very nice and went so well together. The work of 17 different artists, their individual styles complemented the portions of the book that they worked on while also working with the styles of their neighbors.
Thank you to all the illustrators!
Allie Runnion, Andrew Gardner, Becky Davies, Charlotte Archer,
Emma Jayne, Holly Sterling, Hui Skipp, Jessica Smith, Katie Wilson,
Lily Rossiter, Michelle Hird, Nan Lawson, Olivia Holden, Rachel Allsop,
Rachel Sanson, Bonnie Pang, Sam Loman.
I loved the end of the book where, gathered together, were the titles of the books mentioned within for further reading on these fascinating felines. I have read Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron (yes! Dewey was featured in Fearless Felines!) and hope to read more from this list. There are also select websites with information about cats, cruelty prevention, and dedicated sites for featured felines.
What I Didn't Enjoy
There were some parts of the book where I felt conflicted. There were the 30 distinct entries, of course, and aside from that there were listicles between the entries within which more cats were mentioned. This is all to bring up the entries I'm referencing.
One being Milo of The Adventures of Milo and Otis film fame/infamy. The first issue is that the entry misgenders Milo (female used in place of male) and also the entry saying that, because the film has no humans appearing in it, that that makes it worth seeing. While normally I'd agree on that point, the animal cruelty allegations and murky issues surrounding the film make me question why this particular entry's inclusion.
Another entry, this one a feature one including illustration, was that of Felicette, a street cat from France that was sent into space as part of the Space Race in the 1960's. While it sounds impressive that she was the first cat to go to and survive her journey into space, the cavalier way the author describes her fate upon her return made me uncomfortable.
The implied animal testing was, as I said, discomforting, particularly once I looked up what actually happened to Felicette both during her journey and afterwards.
Edit (16.7.19): the author does include a note in the book during Felicette's entry that is of import here. My apologies for not including it in the original review:
To Sum It Up
It was a lot of fun to hear familiar stories about my favorite historical felines. It was that and more to discover new tales from around the world, from cats that "danced" ballet to ones that travelled hundreds of miles to be reunited with their families to cats that accomplished so much more. Cats as a species have depths of incalculable depths and I don't think we'll ever stop learning from them.
Sharing their stories can be funny, can be enjoyable, educational, at times worrisome, but hopefully we can take what we learn and make sure we're worthy of the devotion and intelligence of cats by taking care of their lives and their stories.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
As a cat enthusiast, how could I not leap at the chance to review a book like Fearless Felines? Within its covers is a wealth of felines from around the world who have done marvelous things, from feats of courage to giving hope to small towns. Truly inspiring, some of these stories were entirely new to me and I am pleased to be able to share my thoughts today on Kimberlie Hamilton's new book: Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats.
Thank you to Scholastic Inc. for sending me a copy of this book to review.
What I Enjoyed
The format of the book was pleasing and kept my interest as a reader. The 30 courageous felines were featured as promised; interspersed between their entries were smaller features that were just as fascinating.
These smaller entries included cats may have shared a common thread with the previous entry. For example: the Courageous story of Faith, a cat whose insistence on staying in a church basement saved her and her kitten's lives, was followed by a listicle of other cats who were seemingly possessed of a preternatural sense (one cat "knew" when his owner died, another seemingly predicted an avalanche).
Other interspersed pages featured tips such as How To Tell If A Cat Loves You, How To Help Cats In Need, Feline Entrepurr-neurs, and more.
The various art styles were all very nice and went so well together. The work of 17 different artists, their individual styles complemented the portions of the book that they worked on while also working with the styles of their neighbors.
Thank you to all the illustrators!
Allie Runnion, Andrew Gardner, Becky Davies, Charlotte Archer,
Emma Jayne, Holly Sterling, Hui Skipp, Jessica Smith, Katie Wilson,
Lily Rossiter, Michelle Hird, Nan Lawson, Olivia Holden, Rachel Allsop,
Rachel Sanson, Bonnie Pang, Sam Loman.
I loved the end of the book where, gathered together, were the titles of the books mentioned within for further reading on these fascinating felines. I have read Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron (yes! Dewey was featured in Fearless Felines!) and hope to read more from this list. There are also select websites with information about cats, cruelty prevention, and dedicated sites for featured felines.
What I Didn't Enjoy
There were some parts of the book where I felt conflicted. There were the 30 distinct entries, of course, and aside from that there were listicles between the entries within which more cats were mentioned. This is all to bring up the entries I'm referencing.
One being Milo of The Adventures of Milo and Otis film fame/infamy. The first issue is that the entry misgenders Milo (female used in place of male) and also the entry saying that, because the film has no humans appearing in it, that that makes it worth seeing. While normally I'd agree on that point, the animal cruelty allegations and murky issues surrounding the film make me question why this particular entry's inclusion.
Another entry, this one a feature one including illustration, was that of Felicette, a street cat from France that was sent into space as part of the Space Race in the 1960's. While it sounds impressive that she was the first cat to go to and survive her journey into space, the cavalier way the author describes her fate upon her return made me uncomfortable.
"Scientists were eager to see if Felicette's brain had changed in any way during her history-making voyage, which included five minutes of fur-raising weightlessness.
They learned a great deal..."
The implied animal testing was, as I said, discomforting, particularly once I looked up what actually happened to Felicette both during her journey and afterwards.
Edit (16.7.19): the author does include a note in the book during Felicette's entry that is of import here. My apologies for not including it in the original review:
“There’s no longer much reason to send cats, dogs and primates into space and many believe it is unethical to do so. Being launched into space isn’t exactly a pleasant experience, and unlike human astronauts, animals have no say in the matter. That’s why it’s so important to remember and honor Felicette for all that she sacrificed in the name of science."
To Sum It Up
It was a lot of fun to hear familiar stories about my favorite historical felines. It was that and more to discover new tales from around the world, from cats that "danced" ballet to ones that travelled hundreds of miles to be reunited with their families to cats that accomplished so much more. Cats as a species have depths of incalculable depths and I don't think we'll ever stop learning from them.
Sharing their stories can be funny, can be enjoyable, educational, at times worrisome, but hopefully we can take what we learn and make sure we're worthy of the devotion and intelligence of cats by taking care of their lives and their stories.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.
September 1, 2022
My son checked this out from the school library and wanted me to read it. We also watched a Netflix documentary about cats (“Mind of the Cat” or a similar title) which had a lot of the same scientific content in this book. So, double dose of cat facts!
I loved reading about all the famous felines and cat tales in this book. The illustrations were also super cute.
The documentary only touched on Blackie and Towser from the book. I say read the book, watch the show or vice versa. You can never get too much knowledge on this fascinating species if you are a cat lover like me :)
I loved reading about all the famous felines and cat tales in this book. The illustrations were also super cute.
The documentary only touched on Blackie and Towser from the book. I say read the book, watch the show or vice versa. You can never get too much knowledge on this fascinating species if you are a cat lover like me :)
October 14, 2019
As a cat lover, I jumped at the opportunity to read about 30 amazing cats. This book was absolutely adorable and I really appreciated the amount of fun facts and stories there were. I was surprised on the amount of diversity for the reasons the cats were famous and each story never failed to make mood rise and make me go "awww". The book is filled with fun fonts, colors and images that captivates your attention and draws you in deep into the wonderful cat tales.
December 5, 2019
Great fun for feline fans! Short biographies of 30 brave or fascinating cats as well as all sorts of interesting facts and cat-related trivia.
Appealing and charming. Finally, cats get a little respect ;-)
Appealing and charming. Finally, cats get a little respect ;-)
March 29, 2020
Book review for Whiskers Cat Cafe:
Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats was written for ages 9-11 (grades 4-6) but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The illustrations in this book are adorable. Plus you learn a lot of things that you may not have previously known. This book covers a wide timeline of cats. Even as a lifelong cat lover I didn't know a lot of the facts found in this book. I especially love reading about silly cat superstitions. Did you know if you put a cat whisker in your wallet it will attract money? I just found a cat whisker on my bed the other day. Note to self: put cat whisker in your wallet. I was happy to see one of my favorite gingers in this book (no offense to Jamal or Teddy)...Streetcat Named Bob. You might have seen his movie (probably not suitable for the age range of this book due to some adult content) or you may have seen his many books that range from picture books (My Name is Bob) to adult nonfiction (A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life). One of the funniest parts of this book is a quiz "Why are cats so weird?". Did you know cats have healing powers? You'll have to read this book to find out what they are.
Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats was written for ages 9-11 (grades 4-6) but can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The illustrations in this book are adorable. Plus you learn a lot of things that you may not have previously known. This book covers a wide timeline of cats. Even as a lifelong cat lover I didn't know a lot of the facts found in this book. I especially love reading about silly cat superstitions. Did you know if you put a cat whisker in your wallet it will attract money? I just found a cat whisker on my bed the other day. Note to self: put cat whisker in your wallet. I was happy to see one of my favorite gingers in this book (no offense to Jamal or Teddy)...Streetcat Named Bob. You might have seen his movie (probably not suitable for the age range of this book due to some adult content) or you may have seen his many books that range from picture books (My Name is Bob) to adult nonfiction (A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life). One of the funniest parts of this book is a quiz "Why are cats so weird?". Did you know cats have healing powers? You'll have to read this book to find out what they are.
March 27, 2020
Lots of interesting stories, and nice illustrations. I do admit, I kind of wonder why they chose to have no photos of the actual cats in this book. Many of them are well known and photos are available.
February 1, 2021
I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover, only to discover that the rest of the book was illustrated by 30 other artists. So that was kind of disappointing, but a cool format.
Content-wise, I liked the fact pages in-between the stories (albeit the font they chose to bold and emphasize certain words was baffling in how hard it was to read), but the cat stories themselves were sometimes disturbing because they hinted at or outright told us of gruesome ends for some of the kitties. As a cat lover, that was whiplash thinking I was reading a fluffy book about cats only to then be whacked over the head with such depressing details.
I don’t think I’ll be able to recommend it to anyone because of how troubling these entries were to me personally, but it was still a good book for what it was.
Content-wise, I liked the fact pages in-between the stories (albeit the font they chose to bold and emphasize certain words was baffling in how hard it was to read), but the cat stories themselves were sometimes disturbing because they hinted at or outright told us of gruesome ends for some of the kitties. As a cat lover, that was whiplash thinking I was reading a fluffy book about cats only to then be whacked over the head with such depressing details.
I don’t think I’ll be able to recommend it to anyone because of how troubling these entries were to me personally, but it was still a good book for what it was.
May 8, 2020
Fearless Felines: 30 True Tales of Courageous Cats by Kimberlie Hamilton. NONFICTION. Scholastic Press, 2019. $10. 978133835583
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This is a fun collection of bios and stories about different cats. Each cat bio is one page and is paired with a full page illustration. Interspersed between these stories are pages with bullet points full of facts and trivia about cats.
We had so much fun reading these stories. They are short and engaging and perfect to read over multiple sessions - tackling one or two in a sitting. These short bursts are great for new readers who are building endurance but ready for harder texts.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This is a fun collection of bios and stories about different cats. Each cat bio is one page and is paired with a full page illustration. Interspersed between these stories are pages with bullet points full of facts and trivia about cats.
We had so much fun reading these stories. They are short and engaging and perfect to read over multiple sessions - tackling one or two in a sitting. These short bursts are great for new readers who are building endurance but ready for harder texts.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
November 4, 2019
So good to see cat stories, too!
March 28, 2025
Wow! Who knew that cat purring can help bones heal? Or that cats have played so many important roles in history? I loved the stories and colorful artwork. A few tales have sad endings, which is true to life since this is a book of history, not Disney stories.
May 24, 2019
I received an ARC of this yesterday and I just love it!
September 2, 2019
Very enjoyable. I mean c'mon, it's cats!
December 20, 2021
85%
So many amazing cats that I've never heard of! I would say this book is more about famous cats than courageous ones, as most were famous simply for existing and didn't actually do anything. That's not a complaint, though, as I loved learning about the randomly famous cats just as much as the courageous ones - I think it's marvelous that humans can develop so much love for a creature, just because they can.
Since so many famous cats were discussed, I do wish Louis Wain's cat, Peter, was included. Peter was Wain's initial muse, and since Wain's artwork popularized the concept of keeping cats as pets in Victorian England, I'd say Peter's contribution to society was noteworthy.
One thing I do wish was included were pictures of the cats, when available. The artwork was absolutely great, but I think an inset photo, or maybe a collection of photos at the end would've been nice.
So many amazing cats that I've never heard of! I would say this book is more about famous cats than courageous ones, as most were famous simply for existing and didn't actually do anything. That's not a complaint, though, as I loved learning about the randomly famous cats just as much as the courageous ones - I think it's marvelous that humans can develop so much love for a creature, just because they can.
Since so many famous cats were discussed, I do wish Louis Wain's cat, Peter, was included. Peter was Wain's initial muse, and since Wain's artwork popularized the concept of keeping cats as pets in Victorian England, I'd say Peter's contribution to society was noteworthy.
One thing I do wish was included were pictures of the cats, when available. The artwork was absolutely great, but I think an inset photo, or maybe a collection of photos at the end would've been nice.
June 21, 2021
I’m giving the book Fearless Felines by Kimberlire Hamilton 4 stars because it was a good read, but not the greatest. The book is about famous cats, which I think was an interesting topic. Something I liked about the book was that it was easy to read because it had only a few descriptions of the cats on each page and they weren’t too long. The reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is that the book was interesting, but there wasn’t anything that stood out from other books. I would recommend this book to people ages 8-12 who like cats.
Reviewed by Alisa K., 10, Boston Mensa
Reviewed by Alisa K., 10, Boston Mensa
May 18, 2020
I know its not as much of a challanging read, but its not exactly reading material for that young viewers when it comes to reading. I loved it because I got to learn amazing facts about cat mythology, history, and personalities. It also suggests places to go for cat people and 30 cats that have made history. I recommend it to anyone who justs wants to sit with a fun little book and rea about cats.
November 7, 2020
A big book of cute cats, each getting an essay on why they were special (on three ships that sank, or star of TV commercials, or adopted by a school classroom). In between there are short lists of facts -- how Egyptians worshipped cats, or a bunch of cats similar to a recent essay. The illustrations are charming and varied and the little themed cats tie things together a bit.
It still seems a bit encyclopedia - there's not really a unifying idea beyond "cats are fun".
It still seems a bit encyclopedia - there's not really a unifying idea beyond "cats are fun".
June 23, 2023
This is an interesting collection of hero cats. The cats all have a purpose or position to fill, other than being a lovable pet. And while the book is entertaining and informative, some the articles were sad, telling the stories of cats whose lives who unfortunately terminated by unnatural means. The book would have been better for children if these few stories were omitted. Otherwise, the illustrations are quite lovely, and cats facts are interesting.
July 28, 2025
This was a fun and easy read. Some of the famous cats I had read about before, such as Dewey and Oscar. There were a lot of interesting facts, but I won't spoil them! I think this would be a fun book to have if you need just a quick, fun fact a day to read to cheer you up, almost like a cat video might do. (Many of the cats mentioned in this book are famous on the internet, so you can go watch their videos, too, like Nora, the piano-playing cat).
August 24, 2020
Although it is designed to appeal specifically to kids, cat lovers of all ages will enjoy this book. The stories it provides about some of the most courageous cats of all time are fun, funny and fascinating. And, it is such an excellent source of information on all things feline, you have a seriously good shot at winning a cat trivia contest upon finishing it.
January 1, 2020
Great book for cat lovers. I got this book for free from work and it was a very light and enjoyable. I could see gifting this to my younger self around 3-7th grades or reading with a younger child who I'm indoctrinating to love cats as much as me lol
March 7, 2020
A great book to have on hand to casually read. Filled with facts, quizzes, myths and little vignettes about famous cats. Discover the greatest mouser of all-time! Really enjoyable. I recommend this to any animal lover, not just the feline-inclined.
December 27, 2019
Excellent book of cats.
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January 18, 2020a fun one for young cat fanciers
February 28, 2020
Stories about fun and interesting felines. I love cats, so this was a joy. Easy read, lots of facts given in addition to the stories.
April 21, 2020
Adorable nonfiction about cats.
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May 25, 2021This was so cute!
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