A very fun romp, from start to finish. This is exactly the kind of adventure I love to read about -- an unsinkable young hero and his very personable cat, a sweet and funny romance with a spunky young heroine, fantastic new places to visit, circuses and theater troupes and all the colorful characters you could ever want in an adventure like this! I read this ages ago when I was still in grade school, but even now, it still has a place in my heart.