15. The Case of the Careless Kitten

Perry Mason: The Case of the Careless Kitten (Perry Mason #21) Erle Stanley Gardner. 1942. 211 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: THE KITTEN’S eyes, weaving back and forth, followed the ball of crumpled paper that Helen Kendal was waving high above the arm of the chair. The kitten was named Amber Eyes because of those yellow eyes. Helen liked to watch them.

Premise/plot: Helen Kendal's kitten, Amber Eyes, is poisoned (but survives) shortly after she receives a phone call from her missing (long thought dead) uncle. Her uncle, Frank Shore, wants her to meet with the lawyer, Perry Mason, and go to a super-shady hotel later that evening. He's arranged for someone to meet them (just them, only them) and take them to a second location where he'll be waiting. She's not to tell anyone--especially her aunt, Matilda. (She ends up talking with her (other) uncle Gerald). The meet-up does NOT go as planned. They find a NOTE not a man. And the man they were supposed to meet up with (to find the uncle) is found DEAD. And so it begins...

My thoughts: I do love Perry Mason. I am more familiar with the television series than the actual novels the show is based upon. However, I do enjoy both. It's been years since I last read a Perry Mason novel. (Or it could have been 2020-ish. Which feels like years ago).  

How does this one compare to other Perry Mason novels? Well, I can't compare it to each and every one, but, I'll do my best to compare it with your typical Mason mystery.

First, the KITTEN, Amber Eyes, truly steals the show. This kitten stars in several scenes of the book. Often her antics make for the best bits of dialogue. And literally, Mason solves the case because of the kitten! She's key to putting all the pieces together...

Second, this Perry Mason novel was written and published in 1942. One of the suspects (though not high up on the suspects list) is a "houseboy" who works for Aunt Matilda. She claims--and he claims--that he is Korean, not Japanese. Everyone--including Mason and company--are suspicious of him. Is he lying about being Korean? Is he Japanese? Is he loyal to Japan? Is he a traitor to the United States? If this was written in ANY other year/decade, it would feel definitely cringe and super-regrettable. (I'm not saying it is justifiable. Just that the context makes sense of WHY.) There are probably half a dozen scenes where characters slur his race/ethnicity (in general). Again, not justifying the behavior, but during the war, the propaganda machine was going full force. And even before the war, Americans were VERY divided on if ANYONE of Asian descent should be allowed to emigrate. There were strict immigration laws. It was UGLY. I highly recommend Days of Infamy by Lawrence Goldstone. The novel captures a moment in American history. Seen in light of actual history, I think you can understand how/why this bias, this prejudice makes its way into a mystery novel (set in California). This could be a good opportunity to take a moment or two to reflect and dig a little deeper.

Third, while there is a BIG reveal, it takes place OUTSIDE the courtroom. Perry Mason has had enough. Like he's ALL DONE. He does not solve the D.A.'s case for him. He clears his client of the so-called crime (it's complicated), but does NOT fill in the blanks for the prosecution.

Fourth, the courtroom case we do see is NOT the murder case. But I hate to spoil who his client is and what the charge is...

Quotes:

But Perry Mason had a mind which was only content when it was detouring the technicalities of legal red tape. He not only regarded each case as a venture studded with excitement, but became impatient with the delays of routine procedure. More and more, as his practice developed, he became interested in personalities. More and more, his methods became dazzlingly brilliant, increasingly dangerous, and highly unorthodox.

“A cat usually picks at its food. That kitten must have been terribly hungry to gulp down those balls of meat.” “This kitten was just careless, I guess. Hurry up.” “Very careless,” nodded Della. “I think when I open the file for this case I’ll call it ‘The Case of the Careless Kitten.’ ”

 

“It’s high time for citizens to wake up to the fact that it isn’t a question of whether a man is guilty or innocent, but whether his guilt or innocence can be proved under a procedure which leaves in the citizen the legal rights to which he is entitled under a constitutional government.

 

 Hamilton Burger said to the Court, “I am asking leading questions on some of these points which are not disputed, but which I want to get before the jury.” “No objection,” Mason said. “What did your uncle say to you over the telephone?” “Objected to,” Mason said, “as hearsay. Incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial.”

 

“I’m going out to buy a cat so I can study him and learn about some of the important facts of life.”  

© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

111. Katie the Catsitter

Katie the Catsitter #1 Colleen A.F. Venable. Illustrated by Stephanie Yue. 2021. [January] 229 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Come on. Come on. Perfect.

Premise/plot: Katie, our heroine, is desperate to save enough money so she can afford to go to the same camp as one of her best, best friends. But money is hard to come by--no matter how willing, no matter how desperate. But after several failed attempts (turns out that she kills houseplants!) at earning money, she's offered a job by her upstairs neighbor, Ms. Madeline Lang. The job???? Catsitting. How many cats can one lady in New York City (living in an apartment building) have???? Turns out quite a lot! Katie finds herself taking care of "just" 217 cats!!!

The job pays well--very well! But it isn't without its moments. Turns out these cats are, well, special. As is Ms. Lang herself. This graphic novel for middle graders is set in a world (in New York City to be precise) where superheroes and villains are just as real as you and me. And there's always spottings of both heroes and villains...both on the news...and in person.

Could Ms. Lang have a couple of secrets she's keeping from Katie...and the world?

My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. I really liked it. I LOVED the 217 cats. The world building is fun. This appears to be the first in a series. I like that even though so many things are fantastical about it--superheroes, villains, sidekicks, etc--it is grounded in the real world. Turns out that you can have trouble with friendships no matter what. And Katie is struggling with maintaining her old friendships. It seems her friends may be moving on and moving up...

This was my favorite part of the book:

Bethany,
If you ever wonder how much I value your friendship, please measure it in cats. 217 cats. That's how much I care about you. Can't wait to tell you more about this job, but GOOD NEWS!!!! At this rat I should have the money by nocturnal week!!! You know, if I don't get murdered by lasers or evil cats first.

 

© 2021 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Just Like Us! Cats

Just Like Us! Cats. Bridget Heos. Illustrated by David Clark. 2019. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Cats have retractable claws, razor-sharp teeth, and tails for balancing. Humans don't. But in some ways, cats and people are alike.

Premise/plot: Just Like Us! Cats is a nonfiction picture book about cats. You should know, however, this isn't so much focused on house pets as it is wild cats, big cats, prehistoric cats. It is packed with information. Each two-page spread provides one to two paragraphs of insight.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it featured photographs instead of cartoon-like illustrations. The text was informative though.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Historical Cats

Historical Cats. Peter Gethers and Norman Stiles. Illustrated by William Bramhall. 1996. 86 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Nathan Hale's Cat: "I only regret that I have but nine lives to give for my country."
Albert Einstein's Cat: Ran around the living room at the speed of light for no reason at all, relatively speaking.
Sigmund Freud's Cat: Discovered that the primary motivating factor behind all behavior is the urge to rub up against furniture.

Premise/plot: What if historical figures had cats? Cats who were perhaps just as famous or just as worthy of being famous?

My thoughts: If you love cats--I'm talking LOVE cats--and are easily amused this may be a good fit for you. It is a super-quick read. Each page features an illustration and one or two sentences. I think the aim of the book was to be clever and funny. I'll be honest, there is a LOT of hit or miss within the pages.

I paid fifty cents for my copy. I'm wishing it had been a quarter instead.

• Marie Antoinette's Cat: "Let them eat dry food."
• Ponce de Leon's Cat: POUNCE de Leon discovered the fountain of catnip.
• Eva Peron's Cat: Felita: "Don't meow for me, Argentina."
• Pablo Picasso's Cat: Accidentally ran into window and created cubism.

My favorite:

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Cat. Wrote Crime and Punishment and Do It Again Anyway, a complex novel about an evil Russian Blue, Raskolnikat, who eats off his owner's plate despite many stern warnings. Raskolnikat has overwhelming feelings of guilt but looks so cute he is never punished and ultimately dies weighing 57 pounds. 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Angus and the Cat

Angus and the Cat. Marjorie Flack. 1931. 32 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Each day as Angus grew older he grew longer but not much higher. Scottie dogs grow that way. Now as Angus grew older and longer he learned MANY THINGS.

Premise/plot: After a few pages sharing what Angus has learned, readers learn that there was one thing Angus was very curious about but had never learned about: CATS. He will have plenty of opportunity to do so when his owner (whom we never see) adopts a cat. Will Angus and the new cat get along?! How much will life change for Angus?!

My thoughts: This is a great little story! I was not familiar with this classic. I discovered it at a local charity bookstore earlier this month. It was instant love on my part!!! I adore the illustrations. And the story is super-sweet!

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

The Cat Who Came In Off The Roof

The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof. Annie M G Schmidt. Translated by David Colmer. 1970/2015. Random House. 160 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "Tibble! Where's Tibble? Has anyone seen Tibble? The boss wants to talk to him. Where's he got to? Tibble!"

Premise/plot: Don't mistake Tibble for a cat; he's a very human reporter for a newspaper. If he can keep his job that is. Tibble's news stories don't qualify as "news" according to his boss. But his reporting takes a turn for the better after he befriends a young woman, Miss Minou. He first sees her up a tree. Up a tree?! Yes, she'd been chased there by a mad dog. And that isn't the only odd thing about Minou. She also likes to climb in and out of windows, hang out with cats on the roof, and sleep curled up in a box. The premise of this one: Minou used to be a cat; now she's a human. She can still communicate with cats--hence why Tibble is suddenly good at his job. All the cats in town are talking to Minou about their humans, what they see and hear.

My thoughts: The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof is newly translated into English; it was originally published in Dutch in 1970. This is an odd little fantasy for children. But overall I liked it.

Tibbles meets Minou when she "came in off the roof" and into his window. If Minou were still a cat, it wouldn't be odd that he takes in a stray. He keeps her because she's super useful to him. Not that knowing her is without risk: Minou doesn't make a good impression on most people. For one thing, she rubs herself against people--literally. Tibbles keeps trying to train her to be more human and less cattish.

I think this would make a lovely cartoon special. 

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Dream Life For Children

Dream Life for Children. Mattie K. Foster. 1918. 178 pages. [Source: Read online]

First sentence: In a great room of a great house in Philadelphia, looking from a great window, out into the great world, stood, one dreary morning, a wee little boy.

Premise/plot: Dream Life for Children is a collection of eight children's stories by Mattie K. Foster. As the title "Dream Life" alludes these stories are fantastical, the work of an imagination.

The eight stories are: "Eliza," "Papagei, The Wonderful Parrot," "Smashemallup's Victory," "The Mermaid's Ball," "The Snail and the Leaf Fairy," "The Fair Leona," "The Famous Oyster," and "A Dream."

In "Eliza," readers meet a "wee little boy" named Charlie and his doll, Eliza. Upset that his cat, Tom, is missing, he follows the advice of his forceful doll and goes upstairs to the garret to see a picture-cat, Elfrieda. But the garret is locked, and, it seems that the only action of the story will be an unwitnessed fit. But this story is about to enter the Twilight Zone, the garret door is unlocked by the cat who has jumped out of the picture on the wall, and ANYTHING is possible now.

In "Papagei, The Wonderful Parrot," readers meet a parrot, of course, who's newly gifted to the royal family. The Prince takes the parrot along with him on his quest for the PERFECT bride.

Be a maiden clever, she will be good; be a maiden good, she will be beautiful; be she all of these, how easy to be rich.

This story is packed with fairy-tale like adventure and is pure delight from start to finish.

"The Mermaid's Ball" is a satisfying story starting Titans, mermaids, a sea monster, and the moon.

The other stories are more of a mixed bag going from odd to quirky to peculiar to STRANGE, STRANGE, VERY STRANGE.

For example, "Smashemallup's Victory" is a quirky story with action and romance. Lady Fay is under the guardianship of Hardknuckle. Once she has learned words--how to talk--she will be given in marriage. She does not like her potential suitor--an ugly dwarf. But there may be a way to defeat him and learn the parts of speech at the same time.

Some of the stories are so strange, so out there that you couldn't possibly believe that any children's story could be THAT over-the-top strange unless you read it yourself.

My thoughts: I liked the story Eliza. It is several chapters long. I enjoyed Charlie and his attachment to his doll, Eliza. I liked that Charlie is so very attached to her that she is REAL to him for better or worse. (Think Velveteen Rabbit.) The story is imaginative and a bit quirky, but it stars a mesmerizing, steal-the-scene cat. Overall, I really enjoyed it. My favorite story, however, was the one about the prince and the parrot. It was one of the longer stories. Out of all the stories in the entire book, this one was the most broadly appealing. I think any reader could enjoy this one.

I am glad I read this one--even the strange stories. This one won't appeal to all readers, of course. But I think it is interesting to see what was being written for children a hundred years ago.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Murder Past Due

Murder Past Due. Miranda James. 2010. 294 pages. [Source: Borrowed]

First sentence: A hurricane slammed through my kitchen this morning, and his name was Justin.

Premise/plot: Murder Past Due is the first in the A Cat In The Stacks mystery series. Charlie is a librarian who works as an archivist in the university's rare books collection. He's lucky: he gets to bring his cat, Diesel to work. In fact, Diesel almost always goes everywhere with him. He inherited his house from his aunt, and he runs a boarding house. Justin is one of his boarders.

Soon after the novel opens, readers learn that a best selling mystery/thriller writer is returning. Charlie went to school with him--both high school and college--and the two weren't exactly friends. Far from it. It seems EVERYONE in town has a past with Godfrey Priest--for better or worse.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I did. I loved meeting Charlie and Diesel. I enjoyed the setting--a small university town. I liked the unpacking of the mystery--following the clues. Charlie may be an amateur when it comes to detecting, but, he's good at research. I was a bit surprised at who committed the murder. And that's not a bad thing.

© 2018 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Blue Ethel

Blue Ethel. Jennifer Black Reinhardt. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Ethel was old. She was fat. She was black. She was white. And she was very set in her ways.

Premise/plot: Love cats? You should meet Ethel. I loved her at hello. She's a creature of routine, and, I can certainly appreciate that!

Every day Ethel went outside to survey the land, monitor the weather, chase villains, and explore her favorite sidewalk square, where she liked to roll before taking a nap after her long day. It wasn't easy being Ethel, but she was good at it.

Blue Ethel is the story of what happens to shake up Ethel's routine. One day Ethel's sidewalk square has been colored on with sidewalk chalk. And Ethel, well, she's not quite the same cat as before once she's done rolling around on HER square.

My thoughts: I ADORED the text of this one. I absolutely adored it. I loved how Ethel made friends with Fluffy. And the ending was FABULOUS. I couldn't imagine a better ending for this one. That being said, I'm not sure I adored the illustrations as much as I did the text. A few pages I loved however. (For example, the page with the sidewalk. A child has been BUSY. And the art on the sidewalk is definitely KID ART.) I loved the end papers as well!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10



© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Here Comes Teacher Cat

Here Comes Teacher Cat. Deborah Underwood. Illustrated by Claudia Rueda. 2017. 88 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Psst--Cat! I know you're napping, but this is an emergency! Ms. Melba had to go to the doctor! She needs you to teach Kitty School today. Dog is on vacation. And I suspect Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy aren't available either. Yes. There will be kittens there. That's kind of the idea of Kitty School.

Premise/plot: Cat is going to be a substitute teacher for a day. What will Cat teach the kittens?! What will the kittens teach Cat?! What will Ms. Melba think when she returns to her classroom?!

My thoughts: I really LOVED this one. I loved the casual, conversational style. I loved, loved, loved the character of CAT. I thought the sequence of events during the school day was just fun. Overall, I'd definitely recommend it!!!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10
© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Bulldozer Helps Out

Bulldozer Helps Out. Candace Fleming. Illustrated by Eric Rohmann. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The construction site bustled. Cement Mixer was stirring...stirring...stirring. Crane Truck was lifting...lifting...lifting. Digger Truck was scooping...scooping...scooping. And Bulldozer was--"Watching...watching...watching," he said with a sigh.

Premise/plot: Will Bulldozer get to work on this construction project? Construction work, he's told, is for rough, tough trucks. Can Bulldozer be rough and tough? The other construction trucks give him a work assignment, but can Bulldozer follow through?

My thoughts: I don't know what I was expecting from this one, but I was certainly surprised with the direction it went. Just when I thought a book couldn't surprise me.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

I was oh-so-surprised by the ADORABLE kittens that Bulldozer finds on the construction site. I was also surprised by the reaction of the other trucks.

"They're pretty cute, kid," said Dump Truck. "But taking care of babies? Now that's a rough, tough job."

I liked it okay in the beginning, but by the end I was loving it.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10



© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Pete the Cat: 5 Minute Stories

Five Minute Pete the Cat Stories. James Dean. 2017. HarperCollins. 192 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Pete the Cat loves bananas.

Premise/plot: This is a collection of twelve previously published Pete the Cat stories. The stories include Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana, Go Pete Go, Sir Pete the Brave, Rock On Mom and Dad, Pete the Cat's Train Trip, Scuba-Cat, Valentine's Day is Cool, Cavecat Pete, Pete the Cat at the Beach, Pete's Big Lunch, Robo-Pete, and Construction Destruction.

The stories vary in quality. In these stories, readers get to spend more time with Pete, meet his parents, and get to know his friends. I like Callie cat!

My thoughts: My least favorite has to be Cavecat Pete. My favorite is either Pete the Cat and the Bad Banana or Pete the Cat's Train Trip. I'd read both of these early readers before. I do like storybook collections. I think they make great presents.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Big Cat, Little Cat

Big Cat, Little Cat. Elisha Cooper. 2017. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came. The cat showed the new cat what to do. When to eat, when to drink, where to go, how to be, when to rest. Big cat, little cat.

Premise/plot: A simple yet profound book on life, love, and legacy. Dare I say we're talking meaning-of-life stuff here? The story at its most basic: Big Cat trains Little Cat on how to cat. Little Cat grows up to be a Big Cat. The two enjoy each other very much. My favorite line, "For five minutes each day they went wild." Everyone is sad when 'Big Cat' dies. But a new kitten joins the family a while later. And so once again there's a Big Cat, a Little Cat, and a whole lot of lessons to be learned.

My thoughts: I was tempted to just have my review be a song clip of Disney's Circle of Life. And this book is about the circle of life. But I think it goes beyond that. Personally I think it's all about LEGACY. Big Cat taught Little Cat everything. And that 'everything' stuck with him. Big Cat is not forgotten. Big Cat's legacy lives on and will always live on. At different points in our lives we're all "Big Cats" and "Little Cats." We have the opportunity--the privilege--of passing on what we've learned, what we've been taught to the next generation. We can remember and honor those in our lives that have come before, that have loved us, that have raised us. And one way to do that is to keep engaging in life, in being a part of the community, of being involved with children, contributing in our own small ways to the future.

I think the book is also about change. Nothing stays the same forever. Little Cat had to grow bigger and bigger and bigger. Big Cat had to grow older and older. That's just how life is. You can't stay a kitten forever. No matter how much fun being a kitten is, there's a time when you're a CAT. That doesn't mean all the fun is gone from life. You can still be a kitten-at-heart I suppose. Change is inevitable. It can be sad. But it can also be happy. There is joy and sorrow in life.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Counting with Tiny Cat

Counting with Tiny Cat. Viviane Schwarz. 2017. Candlewick. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: None. One. Two. Three. Four. More. Even More. About a dozen. Lots.

Premise/plot: Tiny Cat is counting his (or her) balls of yarn. At first this is easy for tiny cat. But it doesn't stay easy. What comes after four?! Tiny Cat's not exactly sure. But that doesn't stop her from having FUN counting.

My thoughts: I really, really, really LOVED this one. I love the expressiveness of Tiny Cat. In particular. I love the expression for "lots" "some extra" "too much" and "enough." The story is told with just a few words. These words--like the number words--might be familiar to preschoolers. And I wouldn't be surprised if little ones end up memorizing this one and reading it themselves. I think one can definitely read the story based on the pictures alone.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Kat Kong

Kat Kong. Dav Pilkey. 1993. 29 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: One dark and perilous night, three mouse explorers sailed toward a strange, uncharted island. Captain Charles Limburger steered the tiny vessel, while Doctor Vincent Varmint and his beautiful assistant, Rosie Rodent, looked on.

Premise/plot: Are you looking for a picture book to share with your children that's rated TS--Terribly Silly?! If you have, I'd recommend Dav Pilkey's Kat Kong. In this adventure, three mice capture a vicious monster from a strange island. They bring him back to the city of Mousopolis; but, all does not go as planned for this monster breaks loose and runs amok! Can there be a happy ending for Kat Kong?

My thoughts: I like this one. It is indeed terribly silly. The text is silly; the illustrations are sillier. Here are some of my favorite lines:

A group of natives was performing an ancient ceremony, offering up a sacrificial can of tuna fish and repeating a mysterious chant: "Heeeer, Ki-tee Ki-tee! Heeeer, Ki-tee Ki-tee! Heeeer, Ki-tee Ki-tee Kitee!" Suddenly, the island began to tremble.

As they sailed back to the great city of Mousopolis, they took special care not to let the cat out of the bag.

"Help!" cried the engineer. "The cat's got my train!" "Help!" squeaked the butcher. "The cat's got my tongue!" "Help!" shrieked Rosie. "The cat's got me!"

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Matilda's Cat

Matilda's Cat. Emily Gravett. 2012. 26 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Matilda's cat likes playing with wool, playing with wool, boxes, playing with wool, boxes and riding bikes!

Premise/plot: In this delightful picture book readers meet Matilda and her cat. Matilda, the heroine, is dressed as a cat. She is trying to play WITH her cat. She's brainstorming constantly. What should we do now? How can we have fun together? How about this? How about that? The truth is most of what Matilda tries to get her cat to do, most of what Matilda says her cat likes...is not really true. But all is not lost. Matilda's cat does love something very much: MATILDA.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It's very expressive and creative. I loved the spread, "Matilda's cat likes drawing." Readers see Matilda sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by colored pencils, happily drawing. She's drawing a cat of course. But it's the expression on the cat's face that is almost priceless. It's also super-super cute to see all the kid-drawn art. Like there's one of Matilda's drawings that take THREE pieces of paper. The cat is knitting a sweater for Matilda. One of the sleeves covers three pieces of paper. If you look closely, Matilda's art reveals how the earlier activities should have gone. You see Matilda and the cat HAPPILY playing in boxes side by side. You see the cat bravely fighting a dragon. (Just the page before the text reads, "and fighting foes!") The picture of the tea party is adorable. As is the bicycle riding picture. And it is NOT easy to draw a bicycle. I think the book perfectly illustrates that our own interests sometimes dictate a little too much what we like to do with friends. Of course, the more obvious conclusion is that cats will be cats will be cats. And that you can't make a cat do something a cat doesn't want to do.

Another spread I really love is when Matilda tries to read a bedtime story to her cat. Her choice: Emily Gravett's DOGS. The cat REALLY, REALLY, REALLY doesn't want to do that!!!

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 5 out of 5
Total: 10 out of 10


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens. Denise Fleming. 1998. 32 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Mama Cat has three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris. When Mama Cat washes her paws, Fluffy and Skinny wash their paws. Boris naps. When Mama Cat walks the stone wall, Fluffy and Skinny walk the stone wall. Boris naps.

Premise/plot: Mama Cat has three kittens. Fluffy and Skinny copy their mother; they excel at their kitty education--their kitten academy. Boris, well, he's BORIS. He excels in one subject: NAPPING. Perhaps with a minor in STEALING THE SHOW.

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I like all the cats, but, Boris has the last say! I would definitely recommend this one for parents to share with their little ones. I think cat lovers of all ages can appreciate it.

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

My Pet Human Takes Center Stage

My Pet Human Takes Center Stage. Yasmine Surovec. 2017. Roaring Brook Press. 112 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: My name is Oliver. This is my pet human, Freckles. I have her well-trained. She feeds me treats. She rubs my belly. But today she's going to a new place of training. It's her first day of school.

Premise/plot: Oliver goes to school to be with Freckles. The school is pet-loving, so no big problem. In fact, there's a school club, Fur-ever Friends Club, that Freckles joins. The club is big on fund-raisers, and, this book is ALL about fund-raising. Freckles and her mom take in a foster-kitten during this time, and, Oliver is out of sorts about the attention being on another cat. Freckles idea is to TRAIN both of her cats for an act in the fund-raising show. Oliver has mixed-ideas about it. He doesn't want Freckles to be humiliated, and, he doesn't want the new kitten to do all the tricks and leave him looking stupid, and, he does like Freckles and want to please her....but is a cat trainable?

My thoughts: More happens in this second book, which, I think is a good thing. Oliver continues to be an entertaining cat. I like this series, but, I'm not sure I love it.


© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

My Pet Human

My Pet Human. Yasmine Surovec. 2015. 112 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: I'm a lucky cat. I live a carefree life.

Premise/plot: This (early) chapter book is narrated by a cat. At first, this cat is convinced that he does not need a pet human; that having a pet human would be a bad idea, that having one would ruin his happy-go-lucky, carefree life. But when a little girl and her mom move into 'the old abandoned house,' he gives it a go. Not planning to stay, of course not! Just seeing if he has found a food-source. But the food is good. The belly rubs are even better. Soon she starts calling him OLIVER and he responds to it as his own. His name for her? Freckles.

My thoughts: I liked this one. It's a notebook novel. I've not read many of those. But I liked this one just fine. It is all from Oliver's point of view. I wouldn't say it's a must-read for cat-loving adults, but, it's a pleasant and "safe" read for children who love animals.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

I Don't Know What To Call My Cat

I Don't Know What To Call My Cat. Simon Philip. Illustrated by Ella Bailey. 2017. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: I have a new cat. She turned up on my doorstep one day looking hungry. She obviously liked the dinner I gave her, because she's stayed ever since. That's fine. I like cats. There's just one problem. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL MY CAT.

Premise/plot: The little girl in this picture book has a big problem: she doesn't know what to call her cat. She tries many, many, many names, but none seem to fit. (For one thing, she has to give up the girl names when she finds out it's a boy.) One day her cat disappears, and, a new "pet" follows her home...from the zoo. She'll have problems with this new pet too, but, not about his name. His behavior, well, it might just call for the Bureau of Naughty Animals!!! By the end, all things are resolved happily.

My thoughts: If you're looking for a funny picture book to share with children, I'd definitely recommend this one. I love the pairing of text and illustrations. It's this pairing that gives it a just right feel--an understated yet very funny tone. For example, "I thought Kitty would be just right. 'Here, Kitty!'" Readers turn the page to see over three dozen cats have responded. The text simply reads: "It wasn't."

Steve was a fun addition to this one. He is VERY naughty indeed.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews