This book is a rerelease of this book first published in 2019.
On a window ledge of the State Library of NSW is a small statue of a cat. It is Trim who sailed the world with explorer and navigator Matthew Flinders.
Trim was born on the ship HMS Reliance somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. From the beginning Trim was more courageous, mischievous and fearless than his siblings. Falling overboard Trim was rescued by Flinders who Trim became very attached to. Trim was a good sailor climbing the rigging faster than the crew. He included himself on both the officer’s and crew’s meals. Trim was an excellent companion to Flinders aboard several different ships including HMS Investigator that circumnavigated and mapped the continent of Australia establishing that it was one single landmass.
Sailing with Flinders meant adapting to many different situations socially with both people and animals, and Trim was always in control. His final voyage was aboard HMS Cumberland sailing to England. The ship was leaking badly, and Flinders made the fateful decision to call into the French colony, Isle de France (Mauritius). Unknown to Flinders was the news that England was at war with France, and he was arrested and jailed as a spy. Trim was in jail with him but escaped at night and prowled the town of Port Louis. Then early one morning, after many months of imprisonment, Trim did not return. Finders was saddened by this but knew that Trim was born for adventure and his next one had begun.
Craig Smith’s detailed illustrations bring both life, authenticity and humour to the story. We see and feel the dark cold seas, the blustery winds filling the sails and the love between Trim and Flinders. The inclusion of historical detail via the miniature images of the five ships in the story and maps of Flinders (and Trim’s) voyages in Terra Australis featured on the endpapers encourage further investigation of Flinders’ and Trim’s journeys.
Included is a postscript giving brief details of Flinders’ sad final years.
Picture Books for Older Readers
