Cat vs. Vac by Kaz Windness

I liked Kaz Windness' previous books, but I admit I'm not quite sure what to think about this one. Is it funny or scary - or both?

A blue dog, orange cat, and yellow bird are relaxing when a delivery person drops off a mysterious package. Upon investigation, it turns out be a vacuum cleaner, which the small bird with a demented grin, flips on. The two animals flee and hide in terror, while the bird, with eyes tinged an evil red, rides it after them. However, the bird gets more than they bargained for when it attacks first the dog, and then when the bird tries to help, swallows the bird!

Using underwear to make uniforms, the cat comes up with a plan, freeing a snake from their cage and the rat that was in with them, presumably as dinner. The "pet team" (where exactly did the rat find underwear to fit them?) attack the vacuum and after a pitched battle the pets are successful, Bird is freed, and the rat has mysteriously disappeared, while the snake acquires a new bulge. The family returns, staring in horror at the destruction, while the vacuum sprawls out "dead" with crosses over its "eyes" and a mysterious bulge in the snake continues to wiggle. On the last page, the Bird, Snake, Dog, and Cat get ready to team up for their next foe, a roomba.

Windness' scratchy illustrations quickly shift over to the spooky in this quirky early reader, with the expressions on the animals' faces changing at a rapid pace from fear to anger, the bird especially giving some particularly nasty looks at their foe, the Cat. The fate of the rat is confusing - apparently it gets eaten by the snake, even though it helped out the team, and they're all ok with that? I can see more sensitive children ending up with some nightmares of a vacuum monster after this, but the cover is pretty indicative of the contents.

Verdict: I am honestly not entirely sure how I feel about this. As an adult, I am probably reading too much into it - I also thought it was hilarious, personally, but I don't know if kids would agree with me or think it spooky. I think it's probably fine in the end, and the unique art style adds a fun dimension to what can often be routine in the world of easy readers. I wouldn't hand this to kids who are more sensitive, but fans of Fly Guy and more raucous humor are sure to find it hilarious.

ISBN: 9781665937184; Published August 2023 by Simon Spotlight; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library