Friday, February 12, 2016

Bad Kitty goes to the vet by Nick Bruel

I rarely read sequels, but I wanted some relaxing reading and took home the newest Bad Kitty for myself.

Bad Kitty may be bad, but she's always been a happy, healthy kitty. In her own way, of course. Until today. When a kitty stops eating, what happens? The dreaded...VET! Will Bad Kitty survive her traumatic experience? More important...will everyone else?

The blended graphics and text deliver another laugh-out-loud adventure from Kitty and her "friends." Fans of classic cartoons, especially Tom and Jerry, will get a big laugh out of the kitty heaven sequence, especially Kitty's desperate attempts to atone for her previous nastiness to Poor Puppy.

One of the things I love about Bad Kitty, asides from the humor, illustrations, and popularity with kids, is their diversity. Have you ever sat down and counted how many anthropomorphic characters are male? Or found yourself referring to animals as male even if it's not delineated in the story? I've been making a conscious effort to break myself of this habit over the past few months and once you start looking it's everywhere. In rhymes, picture books, chapter books, etc. Bad Kitty is one of the few female animal protagonists and, even more rare, she's one bad kitty - nothing sweet and dainty about her at all. In addition, when the rare human character shows up, they are just as likely to have dark skin as not - for example, the veterinarian in this title.

Verdict: Another hilarious entry in a popular series. Your library should definitely own the whole series and, if you are a larger library, multiple copies. Bad Kitty also makes a great read-aloud for younger kids and a good book club selection.

ISBN: 9781596439771; Published 2016 by Roaring Brook; Purchased for the library

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