Inspired by the terrible tale of Czar Vladimir of Kiev's raid on the town of San'at Shehri, Shukru the talking cat and his friend Zeki the duduk-player set out from Istanbul on a quest to teach the music-hating leader a lesson. With a clever cat, a music-loving princess, and a last-minute escape, Zeki and the Talking Cat offers the beginning reader an exciting chapter-book fantasy.

Laszlo Kubinyi, who is perhaps best known for illustrating a number of Lloyd Alexander's juvenile fantasies, here presents his own story. Heavily indebted to various folklore traditions, Kubinyi's tale has many motifs the reader will recognize, from the clever cat to the inevitable final reward. But the real treasure is the artwork, with its wealth of detail and expressive figures. ( )