Currently Reading

My Wish List

Challenges

Happy Birthday Bad Kitty!

July 25th, 2010, @ 11:22 am Children | Middle Grade

Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty
by Nick Bruel

It’s Bad Kitty’s birthday, and you’re invited! Bad Kitty’s second illustrated novel is packed with deadpan humor, rich tidbits of cat information — and even some suspense! Who took Kitty’s presents? Why are Kitty’s friends so bizzare? Readers will laugh out loud at Kitty’s feline mood swings, and they’ll be touched by the heartwarming visit from a surprise guest. (goodreads.com)

This delightful book was a gift from a friend which I regifted to my sister and niece (not in a BAD regifting way, mind, just that I have been buying this series for my niece since the first book, Bad Kitty was discovered by me!)

The birthday edition of the series is yet again in “chapter” format although I’d still say it’s closer to a picture book than a middle grade chapter book. This is certainly a book that you can read out loud to your little ones and laugh along with them (or sometimes alone as you might be the only one to get some of the jokes at the moment).

I love Bad Kitty and her mean-spirited way and grumpy demeanor. Just the way she’s drawn appeals to me and my inner grumpy Cat. You get to meet all of her friends from Stinky Kitty (not to be confused with the skunk from my back yard whom we have named as such), Strange Kitty (he wears a top hat!), and Pretty Kitty. The surprise guest mentioned in the summary made me tear up and recall a Garfield special I watched from the 1980s (I think?) which has a touching reunion scene in a lasagna shop (which always, ALWAYS made me cry!).

I completely enjoy this series of books and so does my sister (and niece, though as she’s almost 4 she doesn’t appreciate them the same way we do – but she will as she grows up with my family’s sense of humour). There are to be two more in the series as well which of course I will pick up to complete the collection.

If you happen to be in the children’s section of your bookstore, I implore you to pick up a copy of any of these books (Bad Kitty, Poor Puppy, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath and this one) and try not to smile while you read them! I’ll bet you even laugh out loud once or twice!

So much fun!

Bad Kitty books

  1. Bad Kitty (either the original or the Cat-Nipped Edition) – picture book
  2. Poor Puppy – picture book
  3. Bad Kitty Gets a Bath – chapter book
  4. Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty – chapter book
  5. Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray (Hardcover – August 2010)
    | One comment - (Comments are closed)  

Bad Kitty: The Cat-Nipped Edition

October 26th, 2007, @ 9:44 pm Children

Bad Kitty Bad Kitty: The Cat-Nipped Edition
by Nick Bruel

While I was on vacation in New Brunswick earlier this week I found this little gem in the children’s section of an independent bookstore (they still MAKE those??). This book is not only educational (lots of alphabetical lists) it is HILARIOUS and the art is amusing. My first instinct was to buy it for myself (ha) but then I thought maybe my sister would like this for her little girl (she’s only 1 so it would be read to her). However, the publisher wanted $22 Canadian for it, but only $16 US. Heck no! I shouted – so I looked it up on amazon.ca when I returned to my cousin’s house and ended up buying it for $15 and free shipping. HA!

Unfortunately, my vacation was cut short due to my lack of health and I returned home on Wednesday and there in the mailbox was my book (quick like a bunny since I only bought it Tuesday afternoon!). I read it to my husband, I read it to my parents when they came over to drop off some stuff and I sent them away with the book since they were going to see my sister before I ever will.

So, Kitty wasn’t always a bad kitty. He used to be a good kitty, but then his humans ran out of kitty food and only had a bunch of HEALTHY things (listed in an alphabetical manner) and so Kitty became a Bad Kitty and did all sorts of amusing and alphabetical things (like Destroy this book). The drawings make you laugh, the antics of the kitty make you laugh and it’s just a really terrific book for kids – to be read at bed time, or for older kids to learn to read (and learn about healthy foods – what the heck is a xigua??? Oh! Chinese for watermelon!) .

There is apparently a “sequel” called Poor Puppy, but the reviews said it wasn’t nearly as humourous or intelligent, so until I can see it for myself and read it and look at it, I wasn’t about to buy it.

Hopefully my sister will like this book. I think she’ll appreciate the humour because we often have similar taste in funny, even if we don’t have anything else in common at all. :)

Bad Kitty books

  1. Bad Kitty (either the original or the Cat-Nipped Edition) – picture book
  2. Poor Puppy – picture book
  3. Bad Kitty Gets a Bath – chapter book
  4. Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty – chapter book
  5. Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray (Hardcover – August 2010)
    | One comment - (Comments are closed)