Title: Mauby and the Hurricane
Author: Peter Laurie
Illustrated by: H. Ann Dodson
Reviewed by: Shaunette Jones
Publisher: Macmillan Caribbean

Mauby and the Hurricane, by Peter Laurie, is a story of courage, the depth of friendship, and belief in one's self, especially under adverse circumstances. Mauby, the only cat on a Caribbean hillside farm owned by Farmer Hunte and his wife, loves comfort, is a bit fat, lazy and thinks she is smarter than every other animal on the farm. Despite all this, she is loved and admired by all the animals and has already proven how deeply she cares by saving Myra's (the cow) calf.

On a particularly still day in August, Mauby's adventure begins. Boo the owl tells them - Bongo the dog, Myra the cow, Shakes the black belly sheep and Tik-Tak the blackbird that a hurricane is on the way. Of course, Mauby, being the oldest animal on the farm, is given the mammoth task of getting the others to the safety of the barn, with enough food and water to last throughout the hurricane.

In no time, she delegates duties to Bongo, Myra and Tik-Tak and sets off on a dangerous journey to find Myrtle the hen. On this journey, Mauby finds out that the hurricane is not so bad, compared to what lies ahead. She comes across Warri the tortoise, faces Sly One the mongoose, a colony of evil vampire bats headed by Vlad, and Clipper the crab, and finds that even though she thinks she's the smartest, she eventually has to depend on the slow (Warri), the mistrusted (Sly One) and Makak the monkey to help her along the way.

Mauby, like many of us in so many instances in our lives, is overwhelmed by doubt after she tries to save Myrtle and fails. She asks of Sly One, "I tell you, it's hopeless. What can I, a little cat, do against the full might of a hurricane?" He replies with a very good answer: "Instincts Mauby. God gave you instincts, not to mention brains. Use them!" Here, the author encourages his readers - children and adults alike - to believe and be positive, even when things look dim.

Two-dimensional cat

Mauby's character is two-dimensional. On one hand, Mauby is a typical cat out prowling, sometimes lazy. She is a bit short-tempered and irritable when things don't go her way, and snaps at the farm animals. On the other hand, she is Mauby the hero, called upon to 'save' the animals from the wrath of the hurricane and she comes through with flying colours. Furthermore, Mauby literally goes out on a limb (or limbs for that matter), saving a kitten from the farm next door and Myrtle the hen.

The book has a strong sense of adventure. From page to page, one is always left hanging and wondering what will happen next, which is great for children. Their minds are kept alert and their curiosities alive. Questions such as, "Will the hurricane be terrible?", "Will Mauby make it?", "Will she find Myrtle?", "How will they get back to safety", and "Will they get back safely?" will pop into the reader's mind as the pages turn.

Of course, like many other children's books such as Harry Potter, Goosebumps, The Nancy Drew Mysteries and Huckleberry Finn - Mauby has villains. These come in the form of evil vampire bats, led by Vlad. They, however, turn out to be weak villains, as they are no match for Mauby.

The book, brightly coloured, is aptly illustrated, from cover to cover and is bound to capture and hold the attention of children.

In addition, Laurie paints vividly with his words. If each page had lacked illustration, the setting and the characters ‹ the farm, the animals, the roaring river, the frightened kitten, the lost hen and the evil bats - would be brought to life with Laurie's choice of words and open expressions. For example, when Warri helps Mauby to the pond, she spots Myrtle in the river, frantic and squawking. Mauby has a plan in mind, but the river has a plan of its own. Laurie puts it this way: "All of a sudden, the river came into view. Swollen with water from the hills, it was tearing along wildly. The muddy water swirled and tossed about. The banks of the river were crumbling. Shrubs and trees fell into the foaming water. Mauby made a frantic effort to reach Myrtle - the stream hurled Myrtle into the torrent of the river."

Again, when Mauby reaches that part of the cave where the bats are, Laurie writes, "The stink was unbearable - the ground was slimy. A thick mush was everywhere. Then Mauby felt something move under her foot. The ground was alive with squiggly little creatures. Dung beetles. Thousands of them. They began to swarm all over her."

Fun friends

Detailed, imaginative, colourful and highly visual, Mauby depicts life on a farm (even though it's through animals), the fun friends can have together and the difficulties they bear as a group. The book is a must for children who love adventure, parents who want to spend quality reading time with their children and for those cat-lovers out there. There really is something in it for everyone.

Peter Laurie was born and lives in Barbados. A career diplomat for his country for 30 years, his last post was ambassador in Washington. He is now retired and focused on his writing. Mauby and the Hurricane is a third in the Mauby adventure series written by Laurie. His previous books Mauby's Big Adventure (2000) and Mauby's Quest for the Magic Flower (2002), along with Mauby and the Hurricane, are all illustrated by H. Ann Dobson and published by Macmillan Caribbean.