Most of us would give a cat the benefit of one its remaining nine lives if given the choice of rescuing it from under the wheels of a careering truck.

But schoolgirl Haru doesn't hesitate for a moment, racing across the carriageway to scoop up the road kill-in-waiting with her lacrosse stick.

Her brave, nay foolhardy, action doesn't just earn her an award from the RSPCA but she's actually thanked personally by the thankful feline.

Strange. And then things get stranger still. During the night a procession of cats strolling on their hind legs stop outside her house and she's addressed by the King Cat.

It turns out Haru rescued his son - Prince Lune - and his courtiers serve her with an official scroll detailing his appreciation for her selfless act.

The next day the king's assistant secretary invites her into the Kingdom of the Cats where she can properly rewarded. Who could refuse?

This off-kilter kiddie's yarn could find favour with tots with a taste for the exotic - the rest of us may end up spitting fur balls.

Some anklebiters may be turned off scenes where a banquet of mice is busily devoured and the narrative veers towards the surreal in an Alice in Wonderland way.

Yet, there's no denying a fevered imagination at work - it just depends which kids will find it the cat's whiskers.

Tim Evans