REVIEW: Cleo and Cornelius by Elizabeth Nicholson, Janine Pibal, and Nick Geller
Adventurous Cleo and couch potato Cornelius live in ancient Egypt, where cats are worshipped like gods and goddesses. After Cornelius accidentally boards a boat departing on a voyage across the sea, Cleo and Cornelius find themselves in the faraway city of Rome, a place where dogs are treated like kings. In Rome, the activities never end! Cleo and Cornelius race chariots, play games, perform in a theater, and more. Do they even want to return to Egypt? A spin on Aesop’s classic fable “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse,” Cleo and Cornelius is teeming with hungry hippos, toga-clad dogs, and dancing cat mummies, bringing new excitement to a timeless tale.
Dear Authors,
I adore most things cat (not hairballs, though) so just the cover alone of this book was enough to make me ask, “pretty please netgalley.” Having just caught up on the Flavia Albia series was an added incentive to read a book about kitties in Rome.
Kitty cousins Cleo and Cornelius are living the good life in Egypt. Golden amulets and being treated like gods and goddess? Yeah, sweet. But a boat and barrel of fish catch Cornelius’ eye and soon he’s sailing away. But maybe eating that fish, or sailing, or eating that fish while sailing wasn’t such a good idea. Cleo desperately tries to join him but doesn’t quite leap far enough – to the annoyance of a passing hippo.
Clever Cleo, bored with five meals and six naps a day, misses her cousin. Then she has a brilliant idea. Soon she’s in Rome too with Cornelius showing her the sights. She’s a fearless chariot driver at the Circus Maximus channeling her inner “Ben Purr.” But there’s also the theater and Roman baths to see as well as playing pounce.
Heading back to Egypt, they arrive just in time for the festival of Bastet. Cleo, being a native, can of course ♪ “walk like an Egyptian.”♫ Will our cousins settle back into their pampered life or has the lure of adventure caught them?
This is darling. Seriously, OMC darling. I just want to pick Cornelius up and cuddle him while I’m sure I’d be shooing Cleo away from my curtains then trying to keep her entertained. Read it for the cute cats then go back and look for all the details. Then read it again. A
~Jayne
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