Carbonel is a wonderful story that will stay with your child throughout her life. I read this book as girl and now, many, many years later, I have just read it to my 6 year old daughter. She was spell bound with the tale of the magical royal cat, laughed at the antics of the broom and was riveted in the search for the necessary magic to restore Carbonel to his kingdom. Even though the book is set in an era quite foreign to a 6 year old in the year 2000, children will still enjoy this classic tale (or shold I say, tail!)

When I saw this book and read the summary at the back I knew I would like it, but when I read it turned out to be fantastic, I had some good laughs at Carbonel and Rosemary, the part I liked best was the one where they gave MS.Parker her Popsey Dinkums. The book was purr-fect!

This was a story I have kept with me through my whole life.... Barbara Sleigh knows how to weave that magic carpet ride and keep you afloat. Any child with a taste for magic or cats, will love this book!!!!

Calidor rejects his life as a royal prince and joins an apprentice witch for adventure. His father Carbonel disappears while enlisting the aid of Rosemary and John to convince Calidor to return. The young teenagers restore Calibor's sense of duty and Carbonel's freedom in time for them to lead the charge against their familiar rivals.

The story lines are not as robust, with fewer challenges, fewer characters and less magical whimsy. Rosemary and John seem more prone to conflict and conversation than before. Be prepared for more references to dated aspects of English life.

Calidor and Carbonel is certainly worth reading if you can find a copy. But two earlier Carbonel books are worth more effort.

I read this book from the library at the age of 10 or 11, I am now 39 and I re-read it every year after I actually got/owned the book when I was 19 (I didn't forget about this book all thoughs years). It was the first time-travel book I had ever read. Jessamy, an orphan, that lives between aunts goes from 1967 (I think because that was the copywrite date of the book) back to 1914 and is suddenly a shy, quite Jessamy living with a family as a servants niece. The 1967 Jessamy is not shy or quite and people notice although they don't know why she changes. It is assumed that the 1914 Jessamy goes forward in time although it is not talked much about in the book. (I think that might be a good sequel). There is a mystery and it is solved at the end. My daughter (Jessamy) is now 10. I am going to have her read it this summer. I really enjoyed that book I have read lots of better written books since then but the time-travel and the name Jessamy really held my interest. The ending is very cool and kind of strange.