Hopkinson, Deborah. Trim Saves the Day. Peachtree, 2024. 978-1-682-63293-2. 45 p. $14.99. Grades K-2.
Trim is a seafaring cat who lives on a sailing ship with his owner, who happens to be the captain. One day he hears the captain discussing how the entire crew must pitch in and do their jobs. The feline decides to help his friends with their chores. Penny the dog is swabbing the deck, and Trim tries to assist by using his tail as a mop and meowing as he works. This is too much for the dog, because Trim is too noisy and has gotten his hair all over the deck. Next he meets Jack the parrot who helps the captain steer the ship. When Trim jumps on the captain’s shoulders, the rolling sea causes him to lose his balance and block out the captain’s view, while loudly meowing in his ear. The little cat has no luck in helping the ship’s artist or the cook. Down in the hold, Trim wants to patrol the area like Princess Bea, but it’s the rat’s naptime. The cat is sad that he was not able to help any of his friends and decides to take a bath under a cask of water. Suddenly, the feline feels a plop of water and the cask begins to leak even more. If this continues, the ship will be in trouble. Can Trim use his vocal talent to raise the alarm and call “all hands on deck” before it is too late? This is the third book in the Trim series, which is based on a real cat from the early 18th century who sailed with the British explorer, Captain Flinders. The back matter provides more information and a photograph of a statue of the pair. There are charming illustrations of the animal characters, but interestingly the captain’s face is never seen.
THOUGHTS: This easy chapter book series will appeal to animal loving novice readers, who will eagerly await the sailor cat’s next adventure. Elementary librarians definitely will want to add this easy reader series to their collections.
Historical Fiction
