Review by Booklist Review
Miss Maggie McCullen is the lighthouse keeper of Port Carrick, where she lives with her cat, Sailor Boy, the narrator of this tale. After a long and happy life with Miss Maggie, Sailor Boy decides to stick around for the hereafter and continue to help his owner with her lighthouse duties. The scraggly Siamese, who can choose to be visible or invisible a fact that doesn't bother Miss Maggie in the least bounds around the island, gleefully teasing visitors and accompanying Miss Maggie each night as she lights the lighthouse beacon. One stormy night, Miss Maggie trips on her way up the lighthouse tower, and it's up to Sailor Boy to fetch help for her and see that the beacon gets lit. Dusky plums and luminous golds flood Barry's scratchy watercolors, through which the semitransparent Sailor Boy perches and pounces. Bunting's endearing ghost story is as cozy as they come, and young readers will appreciate both the fullness of the narrative and the notion of a beloved pet living past the grave.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Although no longer living, Sailor Boy, an opaque ghost cat, rendered in pen-and-ink, hasn't left his owner's side. This title is set in the 19th century, in a lighthouse in Port Carrick, Ireland. Miss Maggie McCullen and her faithful cat light the beacon each night to keep sailors safe on the hazardous coastline. Sailor Boy leads this clear, matter-of-fact first-person narrative, explaining that although a ghost, he retains his earthly shape and body but can choose to be invisible whenever he pleases. Sailor Boy teases lighthouse visitors with his haunting purrs and unseen pawings. One night, while Miss Maggie's niece Cissie is visiting, Miss Maggie injures her ankle as she's walking up the steps to illuminate the lamp of the lighthouse. It's up to Sailor Boy, previously unknown by Maggie's niece, to graciously show Cissie how to light the great warning beam. The charming text, paired with Barry's gothic watercolor and ink illustrations, has a playfulness that may intrigue readers rather than spook them. An appended author's note provides a brief history of lighthouses and their importance. VERDICT Certainly not a ghost story, this selection may work best paired with other lighthouse picture books and nonfiction titles on the subject. An additional purchase.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Ghost cat Sailor Boy secretly lives in a remote lighthouse with its elderly (female) keeper. The cat enjoys teasing tourists with "ghostly purrs or a little scratch at an ankle," but when Miss Maggie takes a fall during a storm, Sailor Boy finds a way to save ships from crashing. The story is somewhat bland, but Barry's gently macabre line and watercolor illustrations add atmosphere. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ghost cat Sailor Boy is a faithful companion even after the end.Miss Maggie McCullen, a red-haired white woman, has been in charge of the Port Carrick lighthouse for 42 years. Siamese cat Sailor Boy used to live with her. When he died, he decided to stay with her. He seems to retain his corporeality but can choose when to be visible. They go about their days pretty much as they did when he was alive, and each night he helps her light the light that keeps the boats around Port Carrick safe from the rocks. People on the mainland think Miss Maggie must be lonely, but they don't know about Sailor Boy. The occasional paying visitors to the island don't know about Sailor Boy (even when he invisibly taunts them with ghostly purrs or ankle scratches). When Miss Maggie's niece Cissie Curry, also white, comes to visit and must stay the night due to a storm, Miss Maggie sprains her ankle on the stairs. Sailor Boy must get Cissie's attention and help her light the light. Can he do it? This is an odd offering from the prolific Bunting. Barry's watercolor illustrations in sepia-muted colors are appealing, but the tale they help to tell is slight. His ghostly nature makes Sailor Boy interesting, but it's his ability to act like a living cat that saves the day (or night), which will likely strike readers as contradictory. A light, slight fantasy. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
