Super Cats v Maximus Fang; Gwyneth Rees, illustrated by Becka Moor

The Super Cats are back for their second adventure in Gwenyth Rees’ brand-new series. Now to be honest, I’m more of a dog-lover myself. However, I could be converted to cats if I could find one with the superpowers that these bunch of marvellous moggies possess.

Despite being a novice agent and not acing his latest training exercise, Tagg is thrust into superhero action when a plot to free dangerous cat-villain, Maximus Fang, from Cat’s End Prison in Stoke Mewington emerges. Along with his best friend and partner Sugarfoot, he must infiltrate an evil squad of hit-cats led by the unscrupulous Hamish and foil the plan. But things do not go as planned when Tagg unwittingly ends up releasing Maixmus Fang and plunges all the cats and humans of the world into grave danger. Tagg, Sugarfoot and the rest of top-cat Topaz’s squad of secret agents face a race against time to capture Maximus and the other cat-villains if they are to save the world…

Super Cats v Maximus Fang is an entertaining and engaging adventure story with bags of action, humour and plenty of cats up to their whiskers in crime and mischief. Not all cats are domesticated house pets as these fantastic, fierce and fearless felines prove. Rather than sit at home and be molly-coddled by human owners, the Super Cats and the Hit-Cats have formed alliances to operate on both sides of the law and the story plays out in typical good versus evil fashion with the underdog, or ‘undercat’ in this case, saving the day. Hero Tagg is not without his flaws, often doing more harm than good, but is ultimately the one who is able to atone for his early errors and prove that he is a worthy member of Topaz’s squad.

Super Cats is purr-fect for readers who like shorter chapter books that are highly illustrated. The lively story is supported by fantastic artwork by the brilliant Becka Moor that bring Tagg, Sugarfoot and the rest of the cats to life. At the end of the book there are profiles on all the of the Super Cats and Hit-Cats, a quiz to determine whether you are the possible owner of a super pet and chapter one of the Super Cats first story.

Fantastic feline fun aplenty in this crime caper where a cat-astrophe is never far away.

Recommended for 7+.