Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-Zorba is a noble, big, black cat from the port of Hamburg who keeps his vow to a dying seagull who was tragically caught in an oil slick. He promises to watch over her egg, not to eat the chick when it hatches, and to teach the baby gull to fly. With the aid of four loyal feline friends, he hatches the egg and the young female that emerges immediately calls him “Mommy.” Having fulfilled two of the promises, Zorba and his mates must not only teach her to fly, but also give her the strength to leave those she loves to realize her true nature. Zorba breaks the taboo and speaks to a human poet, who carries the young gull and her beloved foster father to a church tower where Lucky naturally, gracefully takes flight. This intelligent, eloquently translated work examines loyalty, trust, and acceptance of differences. It truthfully displays environmental destruction caused by humans and the animals note that, “Humans, unfortunately, are unpredictable. Often it is with the best intentions that they cause the greatest damage.” Zorba’s Hamburg is populated with fascinating felines, several of whom have foreign accents and mannerisms. Sheban’s soft-focus, black-and-white illustrations capture the action of the text and portray a world where animals must make important, life-changing decisions. Complete with humor and whimsy, this is a book with heart and soul. It will make readers’ spirits soar.
Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. Zorba, a fat black cat, anticipates lazing around while his owner vacations, but his life abruptly changes when a dying, oil-covered seagull lands on his balcony and makes Zorba promise to protect the egg she leaves behind, raise the chick, and teach it to fly. With the help of several quirky feline friends and a human, Zorba accomplishes each task–and discovers the joys of caring for someone other than himself. This graceful balance of humor and heart is an irresistible read. Characters are distinctively drawn and diverse: Lucky the chick who embraces her gifts and her unusual feline family; Einstein the cat who worships the encyclopedia; and, of course, Zorba, courageous and tender. Simple language sensitively conveys the characters and events; and themes embracing respect for the environment, family diversity, and compassion are effectively conveyed both through dramatic episodes and character-driven comedy. Black-and-white illustrations expressively portray the characters and settings, adding another element to an entertaining, thought-provoking story that can sit comfortably alongside books by Dick King-Smith. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Booklist
(September 1, 2003; 0-439-40186-0)
Gr. 3-6. Zorba, a fat black cat, anticipates lazing around while his owner vacations, but his life abruptly changes when a dying, oil-covered seagull lands on his balcony and makes Zorba promise to protect the egg she leaves behind, raise the chick, and teach it to fly. With the help of several quirky feline friends and a human, Zorba accomplishes each task–and discovers the joys of caring for someone other than himself. This graceful balance of humor and heart is an irresistible read. Characters are distinctively drawn and diverse: Lucky the chick who embraces her gifts and her unusual feline family; Einstein the cat who worships the encyclopedia; and, of course, Zorba, courageous and tender. Simple language sensitively conveys the characters and events; and themes embracing respect for the environment, family diversity, and compassion are effectively conveyed both through dramatic episodes and character-driven comedy. Black-and-white illustrations expressively portray the characters and settings, adding another element to an entertaining, thought-provoking story that can sit comfortably alongside books by DicKing-Smith. –Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright 2003 Booklist
Publishers Weekly
starred (August 18, 2003; 0-439-40186-0)
“Humans, unfortunately, are unpredictable. Often it’s with the best intentions that they cause the greatest damage.” So says the wise cat, Colonel, in Sepulveda’s charming tale of devotion, courage and the importance of keeping one’s word. A man-made disaster indeed gets the story started: a female gull becomes mired in an enormous oil slick and expends all of her remaining energy in a final flight to safety. She lands on the balcony of an apartment building, where she meets the fat black cat Zorba and extracts a threefold promise from him: that he will not eat the egg she is about to lay, that he will look after it and, once it is hatched, that he will teach the fledgling how to fly. Zorba enlists the help of his good and noble friends (“He gave his word of honor, and the word of one cat of the port is the word of all the cats of the port,” says Colonel). Each is endearing and distinctive, from the sage but stammering Colonel to the hilariously forthright Secretario to the encyclopedia-consulting Einstein. With shades of the friendship between a spider named Charlotte and a pig named Wilbur, the relationship between Zorba and Lucky (the name the feline gives the baby gull) explores fundamental questions of life and death, and following one’s calling. Sepulveda also fills the brief chapters with memorable everyday moments: the busy Italian restaurant that serves the cats around the back (but only with a reservation), the catalogue of wonders cached in the house of Harry, a human friend to the cats. The language throughout, translated by Peden, is a marvel of economy and warmth, and Sheban’s delicate charcoal and pastel illustrations heighten the sense of magic (particularly a wordless spread of Lucky taking flight over Hamburg by night). Readers will hope for the further adventures of these two unlikely friends. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
