My first reaction upon learning that Bad Kitty chapter books were being reissued in color was pure outrage. Why? Well, as it happened I had just purchased a complete set of replacements of the chapter books in prebound editions. I refused to even look at the new ones, just in case they were so irresistible I should be tempted to purchase the whole series again (which I couldn't afford to do anyways.) However, since I missed reviewing this seminal work the first time, I am finally biting the bullet and taking a look.
The original story featured the unseen family of Kitty preparing to give her a bath, despite all cats' hatred of baths. Readers learn how cats prefer to lick themselves, the dire events (involving Poor Puppy) that led up to the need for a bath, and the even more dire consequences. Narrated in what is now Bruel's trademark style, the story is full of deadpan humor, Uncle Murray's facts about cats, and black and white illustrations of Kitty. There is also a glossary, editorial interjections, and lots of commentary (only some translated for the protection of viewer's ears) from Bad Kitty.
So, now to the new edition. The first thing I determined is that the text has not changed, nor has the basic structure of the illustrations. In fact, it is, as advertised on the front, the same book but simple colorized. I think the kids can live without seeing Bad Kitty in color, so I do not feel a need to buy the whole series all over again. Phew. Also, the color editions are not (or not yet anyways) available in prebound and the pages are those slick graphic novel type pages that usually end up by falling out of the books.
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