Rifkin, L. Life one [The nine lives of Romeo Crumb]

Rifkin, L. Life one [The nine lives of Romeo Crumb] Stratford Road, 2004 [0-9743221-0-5]

This is a wonderful animal story about two groups of cats in a fictional city. The "sticks" (Domestic Cats) and the "alleys" (Alley cats.) I would have preferred if the "sticks" were called "stics" but that was the author's choice. The sticks every day leave their home and go to a deserted building for training on how to survive in the city and stay away from the alleys and the dogs. The head alley, Fidel becomes jealous of a new stick, Romeo. What is interesting, the cats have nine lives. When they die (for various reasons), they lose a life and come back with one less life. This first story is the innocence of Romeo as he lives through his first life. This tells the hard life of cats and is not your usual "cutesy" animal story. I enjoyed it and have ordered "Life two" and "Life three." I hope the kids will like it.