In the Bookcase

6/25/2012

Book Review: Eva and Little Kitty on the Titanic

Eva and Little Kitty on the Titanic

Eva and Little Kitty on the Titanic
Based on Eva Hart's account

written & illustrated by Sidsel Carnahan
published in 2012
38 pages

I was so pleased when author Sidsel Carnahan asked me to review her newly released children's book about the Titanic! The story is partially based on the account of Titanic survivor, Eva Hart. (Who was, in real life, a Second Class passenger, only 7 years old in 1912. Her young age made her a fitting passenger to choose for a book written for 6 to 9 year-olds.)

The story is perfect for young readers & little students who are learning about the events of the Titanic. You'll get to discover the Ship of Dreams through the eyes of young Eva Hart. In this story, Eva is traveling to America with her parents, and she obscurely takes her little white kitten aboard with her (although her mom and dad are quite unaware of this fact). The girl's main concern is to keep this secret safe for 7 whole days while riding across the ocean. With her kitten tagging along, Eva meets other people on the ship, like Captain Smith, Margaret Brown, and even making friends with the Navratil Orphans (Michel and Edmond). Incorporating these characters into the plot was a cute way to introduce other passengers to curious, developing minds.

Overall, I found the story to be quite educational and factual, so that young readers are learning realistic details about the tragedy. My favorite part of the story was the description of the ship sinking. The main events of that fateful night are all touched upon---the panic, the lifeboats, the rescue, the aftermath. This is a book I'd definitely recommend!

Sidsel wrote this book and illustrated it herself too. I thought her drawings were adorable, colorful, and quite fitting. The 22 hand-drawn pictures clearly depict accurate views of the Titanic. She did a wonderful job on both the illustrations and the writing.


Currently, Eva and Little Kitty on the Titanic is available in e-book format only. You can download it from Amazon.com & also be sure to stop by the author's Facebook page.

After reading this story of Eva Hart, I am quite eager to peruse Eva's true personal account that she wrote decades after the disaster, in 1994.



5 comments:

  1. Seen this book on a few occasions and I was wondering what it was like. Thanks for the review.

    I believe it was Eva's mother who stayed up each night and slept in the day, because she had a foreboding and didn't want anything to happen to her family. Sad Eva lost her father in the disaster.

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  2. J.G., you are correct about Eva's mother. In fact, the plot of this book shows the fear that Mrs. Hart had. I think it clearly gives an example of the differences between the people who were almost too excited about the Titanic & the people who didn't want to put their trust in the biggest floating object in the world.

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  3. Dear Anne6/26/2012

    Oooh! Looks like a good story. My two little sisters are interested in all the Titanic books I've been reading this year... but those a bit too much over their heads. :) This would be a perfect addition to our Kindle book collection. Thanks for sharing about it!

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  4. Shirley7/03/2012

    Looks like a cute story! I'm very interested.

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