Synopsis
When young Pilgrim Faith Barrett discovers a stray cat on the Mayflower, she names her new friend Pounce. Together they face the long, cramped voyage and the perils of the first winter at the Plymouth colony.
Sharon Salluzzo - Children's Literature
Before setting sail on the Mayflower, Faith Barrett notices a cat jumping onto the ship's deck. She adopts it during the voyage and names it Pounce. In turn, Pounce stays by Faith's side during her illness. Samoset and Squanto teach the Pilgrims how to hunt and what crops to plant. When Pounce disappears, it is Squanto who finds her and her five newborn kittens. The autumn harvest brings a bountiful crop, and the Pilgrims offer thanks for this and their new friends, the Wampanoag. Faith and Pounce will draw the reader into this fictionalized account of the first year at Plymouth Colony. Ettlinger's illustrations are full of details and present a range of perspectives of life on shipboard as well as at Plymouth that provide a strong sense of the time period. Peacock provides a reason for the Pilgrims' voyage, the difficulties they faced on shipboard and the challenges of their first year. This picture book is ideal for the Thanksgiving, Pilgrim, and colonial life curriculum units. 2004, Albert Whitman & Company, Ages 7 to 9.