NEGATIVE CAT

A must-read for anyone that loves cats, books, and reading.

Humorous, heartwarming.

Sometimes things aren't what they seem at first... Understated text brings a dry sense of humor to the child's plight... An author's note describes the true event on which this story is based and offers readers ideas on how they can go read to animals. A humorous tale in which everyone gets what they want - even a negative cat!

Chinese (simpl.): Citic ; Hebrew: Rimonim ; Japanese: Mitsumura ; Korean: RH Korea ; Spanish: Lata de Sal ; Polish: Helion SA

This entertaining tale is a tribute to animal rescue sheltersand to literacy. The narrator is in the midst of an intense campaign to get a cat; we read that there have been 427 days of fervent pleas. The boy agrees to conditionsincluding a commitment to reading daily, even though reading is a challengeand is allowed to choose a cat from the shelter. Max turns out to be aloof and troublesome. But just as the family is about to return this "negative" cat to the shelter, the narrator unlocks the key to Max's affection: reading to him. Later, the boy comes to the shelter to read to all the cats, and then his entire class does, too. The many eye-catching details in Blackall's fine-lined illustrations invite close inspection; for instance, readers will notice the narrator's mother sharing Wenzel's They All Saw a Cat at bedtime, and later Max becomes enthralled with Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats. Blackall expertly captures body language and extracts a lot of humor from the surly cat, especially when comparing him to the animated pet-owner: we see the child attempt to connect ("I tell him all my best jokes. He doesn't even smile"); the cat is shown with his back to readers, staring at the wall or rudely putting his tail in a stick of butter. As a result, it's immensely rewarding to see the connection that occurs when the boy starts to read (and to enjoy it!) and Max crawls closer to cuddle. A positive and satisfying tale.

[Blackall's] illustrations, 'created digitally and superimposed on the reverse side of vintage wallpaper salvaged from a falling-down house,' have a charmingly old-school feel, deepened by the dull-toned color palette and design choices. A touching story that adds depth to the usual sweet humor of cat books.

[An] adorable and sweet picture book.

Max is, of course, adorable, and the discovery that reading to animals can benefit both the children who read and the animals who listen is the story's hidden treasure.

...This readaloud is an excellent depiction of the drawbacks of cat ownership... but its message that cats are still worth keeping around (and make particularly good reading buddies) is both sweet and helpful to would-be cat owners with certain expectations.

A boy's new pet starts out as a problem and becomes the solution to another problem in Sophie Blackall's droll and commiserative picture book.