Luis Sepúlveda
“It’s very easy to accept and love those who are like us but to love someone very different is very hard”.
Kengah, a seagull, is feasting on herrings and she misses an emergency squawk signal from her flock and gets caught in an oil spill from a ship. She gathers strength and flies to the closeby port of Hamburg, flapping her wings heavy with oil. Zorba, a big, black cat, is home alone in Hamburg as the family with whom he stays is away on vacation. Kengah plops onto the balcony where Zorba is napping, leaving him surprised.
Kengah shares her story to Zorba and laments she is going to die soon. With the last ounce of energy, she lays an egg and makes Zorba promise that he will not eat the egg, he will take care of it until it hatches and also teach the chick to fly. She dies leaving Zorba with a blue speckled white egg and promises to keep.
The egg hatches into a chick, and Zorba names her Lucky. How will Zorba save Lucky from cats & other predators in the port town, how will he teach her to fly? There are promises to be kept, some rules need to be broken, and how he manages it all with the help of his friends/cats is really endearing to read.
The Story of the Seagull and the Cat who Taught her to Fly by Luis Sepulveda is a beautiful book on friendship and loyalty. It is also hilarious and sweet in sections, making it suitable for not just kids but adults too. The friendship, camaraderie and the distinct sharp, quirky personalities of the port cats is enjoyable.
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