Felix the Mayflower II Kitten

The littlest crew-member, life jacket and all, was Felix the Mayflower II kitten and he had quite the adventure sailing from England to Plymouth in 1957. At the time of the historic sail, Felix enjoyed quite a bit of celebrity, as adults and children alike marveled at his unique story, but over the years the tale of the Mayflower kitten has faded...until now.

Today, a brand new generation of children and adults can enjoy the tale of this unlikely sailor, thanks to the newly published children's book entitled: "Felix an His Mayflower II Adventures." In this chapter book, both children and adults will delight in tracing Felix's escapades as they were chronicled from true accounts of the famed 1957 trans-Atlantic journey. The narrative was written by Plimoth Plantation's very own 'Maritime Department Manager,' Peter Arenstam, who with great care and detail brings Felix's character to life 50 years later.

"Sharing the history of Mayflower II is exciting and important to me," said Peter Arenstam, Author and Manager of Plimoth Plantation's Maritime Department. "But I knew it might be hard for children to connect with the adult stories of the sailors who made the momentous '57 voyage. Narrating Felix's adventures seemed like the perfect way to convey the significance of this historic account, while telling it through the eyes of a real-life character, children could actually relate to. I think their parents will enjoy it too!"

Beautifully illustrated by Ronnie Rooney, an illustrator originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts, 'Felix and His Mayflower II Adventures' comes to life across the pages with detailed pen and ink drawings.

Although there was no record of a cat onboard the original Mayflower, during the 17th century it was not unusual for cats to be found onboard seafaring ships. These cats served a purpose-working as ratters, keeping the ship free of rodents. Onboard Mayflower II, Felix served as a mascot to the ship and ended up winning over the hearts of the crew.

In honor of Mayflower II's 50th anniversary, and to commemorate the release of the new book, Felix and his Mayflower II adventures, Plimoth has commissioned four new coloring pages from the book's illustrator, Ronnie Rooney.