What child hasn't wondered whether cats truly have nine lives? This 1860 Victorian gem answers that question with a feline protagonist who tests the theory with alarming frequency. Through a series of close calls - dangling from a clothesline, nearly drowning, escaping a dog attack - our scrappy tabby loses lives one by one, each adventure accompanied by playful verse and curious illustrations featuring hidden objects for sharp-eyed young readers to discover. The tension builds with every chapter: how many lives remain? Yet Bennett tempers the drama with gentle humor and an ending that feels more poignant than tragic. The cat who stared down death repeatedly finally succumbs to old age, having lived fully and dangerously. It's a strange, lovely meditation on resilience and mortality wrapped in children's verse - darkly funny one moment, quietly moving the next. For young readers who love animals, wordplay, and stories where the impossible happens over and over.
