By Erin Hunter
HarperCollins, $6.99, 112 pages
Some books do not take an alien culture serious enough. Warriors: SkyClan and the Stranger #1: The Rescue is the story of Leafstar of the Skyclan, a group of cats. Although she is pregnant, she must still lead her clan, even as her pregnancy slows her down. She must deal with the younger kits dealing with humans, and her resulting imprisonment by an old woman who has none but the best intentions. She finds out what her status within the clan really is, and why she should have taken her healer’s recommendation to take things easier.
This is a short, sweet tale of cats and their culture.. There is some prejudice against cats that stay in homes at night, but their culture works, and allows for rivalries as well as friendships to blossom. The cats come off as intelligent, but without any of the usual technological crutches beyond poultices and such. It is a very well done concept. The art is serviceable, but allows for each cat to have a personality, as well as showing how the clan has adapted to its surroundings. For a look at how we think cats live without humans around, this is great book.
Reviewed by Jamais Jochim
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