Mrs Chippy the Cat product reviews

Mrs Chippy the Cat is a delightful book based on a true story. It follows the story of Mrs Chippy, a loyal and loved companion that was taken on board the Endurance for Ernest Shackleton's 1914 expedition to the Antarctic. Prior to finding out the tabby cat was a tomcat, Mrs. Chippy was named because it followed its owner, and ship carpenter Chippy McNeish, around like an overly attentive wife. Mrs. Chippy proved to be a great rat-catcher and the crew felt he was their lucky charm. The story also tells of the time Mrs Chippy fell through one of the cabin portholes and into the sea. Luckily the officer on watch heard the screams and turned the ship round to pick him up.

Mrs Chippy the Cat portrays the desolate Antarctic conditions well, using descriptive phrases that are easy to understand. There is also humour with Mrs Chippy winding up the dogs and turning his nose up at the pongy penguin meat. I gave this to both my 11-year-old and 13-year-old daughters to read. Both really enjoyed the story and my eldest daughter was keen to find out more. Although the book would definitely appeal to younger readers, I think it also provides a great platform in which to start further research. I could see this book being a great class resource when looking into expeditions and Antarctic conditions.

The illustrations are great and are done in a style that reminds me of Tintin. The font is not overly large but clear and easy to read and there is a good amount of text to challenge younger readers.

At the end of the book, there is a page that tells the true story and has some black and white photographs. The book doesn't mention Mrs Chippy's death but this text says that Mrs Chippy and the dogs died in the harsh conditions. I did a little bit of research and was saddened to hear that Shackleton had Mrs Chippy and some of the younger dogs shot. McNeish never forgave Shackleton for having him killed and he is buried in Karori Cemetery in Wellington, with a statue of the cat on his grave.

A great read for all ages (I thoroughly enjoy it) and I'd definitely recommend it.

I thought Miss Four might be a little young for this book, but she is into cats so it was worth a try - and sure enough, she did enjoy it. For a child so young she is quick to grasp ideas and to make sense of them - and she is also good at asking when there is something she does not understand. Mr Two was too young to follow the story of course, but he was keen to see the pictures of the cat and the seagull, so he came over now and then to look at them too.

The cover graphic caught both the children's attention. The cat acting as lookout on the ship's bow is not the usual sort of thing you associate the average feline with - very few of them go near large bodies of water by choice - but obviously this was going to be a story about a unique animal. The colours used for the illustrations throughout the book are not those usually used in children's stories either, but echo those used in early publications when colour variations were limited. For older people, this technique immediately suggests that this is a story set in the past.

Miss Four responded with interest to Mrs Chippy's various adventures. She thought it was hilarious when the huskies were teased by one diminutive cat, and became worried when he fell out the porthole into the sea. She loved the way that Mrs Chippy made himself at home on Chippy's bunk because that is exactly what her own cats do. When the Endurance sank, she was worried all over again and was most relieved when everyone got ashore safely, including Mrs Chippy and all the dogs. No doubt any rats that had not already been hunted by Mrs Chippy had escaped too!

This was Miss Four's first introduction to Antarctica so she had lots of questions. The idea of a country covered completely in ice and snow, and populated by penguins and seals, was intriguing. She has seen snow of course, but the snow in Christchurch where she lives does not stay around for too long. It is a novelty when it settles for a day or so, and provides the opportunity for plenty of fun, but the attraction would soon fade if it lasted for longer. As it is, she can retreat into a nice warm house whenever she feels cold - something which was not possible for the crew and animals of the Endurance.

At the back of the book are some historical notes; these were of interest to the adults, although not at this stage suitable for sharing with Miss Four. Eventually she will read them for herself but by then she will be ready to understand the full background to the book. For now, she is content with the story proper; it kept her company at a time when she was unwell and confined to bed! She does know that Mrs Chippy was a real cat, and was interested to see the photograph of him with the boy who stowed away on the Endurance.