A Cat on the Mayflower

For all cat lovers, Pilgrim Cat  by Carol Antoinette Peacock is the book for you.  It’s about a little girl named Faith and a cat named Pounce.  Faith is sailing on the Mayflower with her family to the New World, and a stray cat boards the ship, chasing a mouse.  Throughout the voyage, you get a glimpse of the struggle Faith and the Pilgrims went through.  Befriending the cat, Pounce helps Faith through some difficult times.

In the author’s note in the front sheds light on how the idea for the book began.  While visiting Plimoth Plantation, a cat was noticed by the author’s daughter.  Through research, Carol learned that cats did travel the Mayflower to the New World.  (And dogs did too.)

Savorings for reading and in writing for Pilgrim Cat:

• Background knowledge – fun but rich read a loud; an interesting twist in regards to the Mayflower voyage
• Magic of 3 – repeatedly used throughout the story; “On the way home, Squanto stopped suddenly.  He crouched beside a hollow log.  Wordless, he beckoned to Faith.”
• Transition – from one setting to the next; passage of time; from one difficulty to the next