Magic Kitten, A Circus Wish

Flame, an adorable black kitten, stumbles into Sadie's life and, despite her father's allergy to cats, the little girl decides to keep him hidden in her bedroom.

But Flame is no ordinary kitten. In fact he is not even a kitten. He is Prince Flame who, in his usual shape, is a noble white lion forced to flee from his wicked uncle who has deposed him in the Kingdom of the Lions. He can change shape and talk, so he and Sadie are in for an wild

adventure. Their travels bring them to a circus school where Sadie's best friend Jenny becomes jealous of her acrobatic abilities and the amount of praise she gets from the daughter of the famous Flying Tomanis trapeze act. At the school, they meet a very cute dog who joins in the action and becomes best mates with Flame.

The book is written with a fine, uncluttered prose style and it has a confident blend of realism and magic. The simple line drawings by Angela Swan and the lovely cover are guaranteed to produce a sigh of delight.

There is even a competition attached to the book: hidden words are to be found which, when joined to words from Moonlight Magic – another Magic Kitten book – could win a lucky reader a Magic Kitten goody-bag.

Magic Kitten, A Circus Wish. By Sue Bentley. Puffin Books €5.85. Girls aged 9+