Bad Kitty

Four stars! I agree!

"When she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad, she was horrid," perfectly sums up this charming ABC book that uses the plot device of a Kitty whom, when presented with healthy fruits and vegetables to eat, such as eggplant, fennel, and onions, angrily reacts by biting grandma, knocking over the lamp and tormenting a little mouse. A trip to the grocery store for Kitty’s favorites (heavy on seafood and feathered friends) restores peace. Kitty quickly makes amends.

The high action story is presented in panels: squares for food, rectangles for activities. Kitty is featured in the center of each food page, exclaiming rapturously or complaining loudly with noises that stress vowels. Although some of the food Kitty likes are gruesome, Burell’s illustrations are adorable – the chicken, rhino and quail appear placidly anxious about their fate as cheesecake, ravioli and quiche. Kitty is dynamic and expressive, with clean lines displaying mischief and downright premeditation as the black and white cat with a “T” for a nose kicks dishes off a counter and hacks up hairballs. Best scene of all: In “Plotted against us” sections of the devious cat are revealed in a comic panel format.

My 3-½ year old twin niece and nephew demanded, “Read it again!” after just one read-through. The repetition of words and letters is great for this age group. You can also use the book dialogically, asking children to recall what happened in each scene the cat sets right.