Carbonel and Calidor

Now in paperback, the third and final entry in Barbara Sleigh's enchanting Carbonel trilogy. “There are many kinds of magic. . . And once magic is in your blood it attracts more magic,” says the royal cat Carbonel at the start of Carbonel and Calidor. Sure enough, Carbonel’s human friends Rosemary and John soon encounter magic in the form of a ring set with a fiery red stone that grants wishes to whoever wears it. And it’s a lucky thing, too, because Carbonel needs Rosemary and John’s help. It seems that his son Calidor has rejected his princely status for the love of a streetwise cat named Wellingtonia (also known as Dumpsie). Even worse, Calidor has apprenticed himself to the witch-in-training Mrs. Dibdin. With all this going on, it’s just a matter of time before Carbonel’s old nemesis Grisana—accompanied by her slyboots daughter Melissa—hatches a plan to take control of Carbonel’s kingdom once and for all. This third and final volume of the Carbonel series is as full of enchantment and adventure as its predecessors, Carbonel and The Kingdom of Carbonel. Read individually, or in sequence, Barbara Sleigh’s fantastic and fantastical trilogy casts an unforgettable spell.

About the Author :
Barbara Sleigh (1906—1982) is the author of Carbonel: The King of the Cats, The Kingdom of Carbonel, and Carbonel & Calidor (all from the New York Review Children’s Collection). She worked for the BBC’s Children’s Hour.Charles Front has illustrated many books, including Never Say Macbeth, The Great White Whale, and The Little Dressmaker.

Review :
"The Carbonel books are excellent stories, imbued with wonder and practicality in equal measure, dry humor, and a clear-eyed and sometimes sardonic love of cats. They have a healthy interest in food and a ruthless interest in the logical working-out of the implications of magic. . . . These books have moved me to laughter and tears.” —Pamela Dean "There is a Nesbit quality about Miss Sleigh's writing as there is in her manipulation of magic. . . .her books are always well worth waiting for." —Junior Bookshelf "Barbara Sleigh laces adventure with humor and has a casually expert way of twisting everyday settings and events into something bizarre and wholly entertaining," —Margery Fisher, Growing Point "A delightfully amusing story." —Parents Magazine "It's a highly diverting fantasy, told exactly as though it all could happen." —Chicago Tribune "We do like good fantasy, and it is hard to find. Here is some magic sturdily rooted in everyday happenings with both the real children and their enchanted acquaintances well characterized and sharing in some very convincing experiences." —New York Herald Tribune "A truly bewitching story reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland." —New York Journal American "A highly entertaining fantasy." —San Francisco Chronicle "Magic and everyday life blend smoothly in this highly enjoyable fantasy, perfect for reading aloud." —Terri Schmitz, Horn Book "A delightful story for those who like impossible things to happen in a humdrum world...The children are lively, the grown-ups (including the witch) colorful and the mingling of magic and reality is most effective." —The New York Times "The magic is potent in The Kingdom of Carbonel...The children have some very worthwhile experiences including trips in an airborne rocking chair (very bumpy), an accident with an invisibility spell and the challenge of Mrs. Cantrip's Miniscule Magic powder." —The New York Times