Trim Saves the Day

One small kitten learns about the great big world as he sets sail with his fellow shipmates, animal and human, in this historical fiction intermediate reader.

Trim likes being part of the ship’s crew. The captain says that everyone has a jobs they do alone and other times they help each other out. And if there’s a big problem, then it’s all hands on deck.

But what is Trim’s job? He really wants to help, but everyone is very busy. Penny is helping the sailors mop the deck, so Trim decides to mop too. Swish! Swish! SWISH! Trim gets water everywhere. Jack is helping the captain steer the ship, so Trim thinks he can steer too. Whee! Whee! WHEE! But there’s not enough room on the wheel. Doesn’t anyone have a job for a kitten who really wants to help?"Kristy Caldwell’s distinctly non-old-timey illustrations emphasize the slapstick elements of Ms. Hopkinson’s stories."—The Wall Street Journal

"Hopkinson reminds readers that setting out on an adventure with good friends is the best way to experience our wondrous world. Recommended for chapter book collections."—School Library Journal

"Cartoon-style line and color illustrations faithfully depict a 19th-century ship and a cat’s hilarious antics. . . More seaworthy fun with this endearing feline hero."—Kirkus ReviewsDeborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of more than seventy nonfiction and historical fiction books. Her writing and programs help bring history and research to life for readers. She holds degrees from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Hawaii and lives in Oregon with her family and a menagerie of pets. Visit her at www.deborahhopkinson.com

Kristy Caldwell is an illustrator from Louisiana, based in Brooklyn. Her first picture book, Flowers for Sarajevo, was a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2017. She also has a history of providing graphic art to theater companies and is married to director Kelly O’Donnell. Visit her at www.kristycaldwell.com.