They Sent a Cat to Saturn

By Author / Illustrator

Valerie Bloom, illus Ken Wilson-Max

Genre

Poetry

Age range(s)

Publisher

Otter-Barry Books

ISBN

9781915659590

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

02-07-2026

Synopsis

They sent a cat to Saturn
on a spaceship called Hooray.
They put him in his cat space-suit
and sent him on his way . . .

Val Bloom's exciting new poetry collection is brimming with playfulness, empathy and the joy of words and wordplay. It is divided into enticing sections: Word Painting; Pets and People; A Little Light Relief; Wild, Wild World; Glorious Food and finally Brawta (the Jamaican word for A little bit extra).

Have fun with Jamaican haiku, puzzles and riddles; find the superpower of smiling; discover dinosaurs, a lost cat, a hero Dad and Papa cookin'; check out how to make an octopus laugh and find kindness in poems about refugees, the meaning of home and friendship.

This book by a much-loved poet will be treasured and read again and again, at home and at school.

Reviews

Sue

They Sent a Cat to Saturn is a wonderful new collection of poems from Valerie Bloom which deserves a place on every bookshelf. Organised into six sections, the book offers a wide selection of work, covering many subjects and styles. Perfect for sharing and performing or lingering over independently, there is something for everyone to enjoy in these pages.

For teachers, the collection is a treasure trove! There is plenty here to inspire children's own writing with many making excellent models to support structure or style. The form of 'A Poem Can . . .', for example, could be used to help develop a class or group poem about poems - or anything which captures their imagination - whilst 'Dinosaur Hunt' would be really fun to perform! There is even some excellent advice on how to do this in the poem, 'Taking a Poem from Page to Stage'.

The different styles used also offer possibilities for experimentation and investigation of different forms. Whilst many children might be familiar with haiku (although perhaps not Jamaican ones!), using the pensee form could be new to them.

Moving from poignant to humorous, closely observed to whimsical, They Sent a Cat to Saturn is packed with poetry treats!

96 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher