Rosemary’s plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can’t even afford to keep. But appearances can be deceiving. Some old ladies are witches, some brooms can fly, and some ordinary-looking cats are Princes of the Royal Blood. Rosemary’s cat (“You may call me Carbonel. That is my name” ) soon enlists her help in an adventure to free him from a hideous spell and return him to his rightful throne. But along the way Rosemary and her friend John must do some clever sleuthing, work a little magic of their own, and—not least—put up with the demands of a very haughty cat. Carbonel’s adventures continue in The Kingdom of Carbonel and Carbonel and Calidor.
Opportunity for reselling: Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel and Calidor (9781590173336; $17.95); The Kingdom of Carbonel (9781590173152; $17.95)
The hardcover edition of Carbonel has done well in The New York Review Children's Collection.
We expect that the paperback edition will appeal to teachers and librarians, as well as young readers picking out their own books.
Books about animals--especially cats--have done well in our Children's Collection.
This book will add to our growing collection of NYRB Kids paperbacks.
