Some Cat!: A Picture Book

by Mary Casanova, Ard Hoyt (Illustrator)

Overview

Violet has always imagined ruling a kingdom with sharp claws and velvet paws, so when she is adopted and goes to live with two dogs, she immediately takes over with a Meowww! Hisssss! and Spat! Poor George and Zippity try to befriend Violet, but they get nowhere. One afternoon, while her new family is out fishing, Violet is awakened by some stray dogs who chase poor Violet into a corner. Luckily, George and Zippity arrive home just in time to help.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466816442
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/05/2012
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Mary Casanova's books include the popular One-Dog Canoe and The Day Dirk Yeller Came to Town, also illustrated by Ard Hoyt. She lives near Ranier, Minnesota.
Ard Hoyt has illustrated several picture books, including the bestselling I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow. He lives in Bentonville, Arkansas.

MARY CASANOVA's books include the popular One-Dog Canoe and The Day Dirk Yeller Came to Town, both illustrated by Ard Hoyt. She lives near Ranier, Minnesota.
ARD HOYT has illustrated several picture books, including the best-selling I'm a Manatee by John Lithgow and Saying Goodbye to Lulu, an ASPCA Henry Bergh Children’s Book Award winner by Corinne Demas. He lives in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Editorial Reviews

“...this a fun read-aloud and a real child pleaser.” —School Library Journal

“Kids won't be able to resist. . .” —Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 2—Violet is a thin little cat who sits in a cage at the shelter. Imagining herself ruling a kingdom "with sharp claws and velvet paws," she arches her royal back and frightens away most people with her meows and hisses. A man and woman decide to give Violet a chance and take her home, where she quickly shows their two dogs who is in charge. George and Zippity, who first appeared in Casanova's Some Dog! (Farrar, 2007), stand aside as the cat eats first, plays with one dog's favorite toy, and sleeps in the other's hammock. The humans wonder if she will work out. When three stray dogs invade Violet's kingdom, she runs for her life. George and Zippity come to her rescue, arching their canine backs and snarling until the intruders flee. The grateful cat settles down at last, content to rule with purrs and soft velvet claws. Expressive watercolor-and-pencil illustrations capture the personalities of the animals and the kindness of their humans. Often-repeated animal cries—Violet's "Meowww!" with Zippity's "Ya-yippity!" and George's "Wa-roo-roo-roo-roo!"—make this a fun read-aloud and a real child pleaser. It will spark discussions about shelter animals and the importance of allowing them time to acclimate to their new homes.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

School Library Journal

Violet the cat finds it hard to make friends with her new owners' two dogs until they show their loyalty despite her unfriendliness. Casanova's energetic text begins with a brief mention of Violet's previous home, where there was "too little food and too much shouting." Presumably that's why she hisses and spits at the people who stop by her cage at the shelter. Most walk away, but one couple decides to take her home. Once there she terrorizes George and Zippity, heroes of Some Dog! (2007). Things change after a trio of stray dogs finds her alone in the yard. Once rescued, Violet undergoes a serious attitude adjustment. From the cover that shows a wide-eyed, anxious-looking cat to the implication that Violet's earlier experiences shaped her personality to the fairly scary attack by the stray dogs, this is not a typically perky pet-adoption tale. Hoyt's illustrations, which appear to combine watercolor and pencil, set the story in and around a house by a lake and offer a mostly realistic look at the action. The cozy setting and some visual humor lighten the mood, as does Casanova's use of nonsense words to convey the barking and meowing of the various animals. Just as prickly as its heroine, this book requires an audience ready for its sobering back story. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews