Captain Katz and the Race for the Moon is written and illustrated by Laurie Campbell, aka Storyteller Laurie.

Captain Katz’s narrates a tale of sibling rivalry between Queen Bella, Queen of the Barbary apes, and her sister Jane.

Jane has invented the first sailing ship that can fly to the moon. Seeing a monkey using a stick to reach for mangoes, provides the inspiration for creating a space arm.

Jane wants to know if the moon is cold or hot. Someone told her it was made from cheese.

Her sister the Queen wants this ship because she believes if she can control the orbit of the moon, she will be able to control the tides, and the paths of sailing ships. She will be able to dominate world trade!

Caught between the two sisters is Princess Alice. She does not want to stay in the palace to care for the Queen’s exotic collection of animals.  She wants to run away and be a pirate. Princess Alice hides on Captain Katz’s ship The Flying Cat.

Captain Katz, and two of his fellow pirates, race across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.  Who will the win prize?

Will Princess Alice find a new life with her Aunt Jane in the Caribbean?

This book looks at where do ideas come from, the differences between pure and applied science, and the parallels between the early days of sailing and space travel.  It also asks, how should we view the moon. A place of curiousity or to be exploited for commercial gain?

An excerpt of this Captain Katz and the Race for the Moon can be read at https://storytellerlaurie.com