TRIM HELPS OUT

Ambitious, conscientious, adventurous, and willing to learn, Trim is an admirable hero.

The first title in this series, Trim Sets Sail (2023), explained how the scrawny kitten became part of Captain Flinders’ crew. (The actual Trim made history as the first feline to circumnavigate Australia, 1801-1803.) On board Trim’s ship are the captain and the sailors; the ship’s cook, gardener, artist, and naturalist; the ship’s dog, Penny; and the parrot, Jack. Trim wants to be a useful crew member, too, so Jack sends him off to look for rats in the ship’s hold, but the kitten doesn’t know what a rat looks like. When he encounters a regal-looking rodent who announces herself as Princess Bea, he’s discouraged to learn that patrolling is already her job, but he’s happy to help out by bringing her a biscuit. Just as Jack is about to set Trim straight, we spot the scorpion who’d earlier escaped from the naturalist and appears ready to attack Penny. Trim, encouraged by Bea and mistaking the arachnid for a rat, fearlessly charges. While rats may not be so welcome aboard a real ship, Penny, Jack, and Trim make peace with Bea and find a place for her on the ship. Color-and-line illustrations are as lively and engaging as the narrative, which boasts enjoyable action and suspense.

Kids will appreciate the absorbing plot and the feeling of knowing more than the protagonist.