Drat That Cat!

September 1, 2013
When it comes to mischief, no pet can top a pampered cat. Suzy has long white fur and impossibly large blue eyes. Her full name is Suzy Cat Baggot. She is mostly well-behaved, but "when she felt like it, she could be really naughty." She loves to hop up onto Granddad's lap and get his trousers all hairy. Once, Suzy "did a piddle" on Dad's golf bag, and the smell won't go away. Suzy also thinks the new sofa will be perfect for sharpening her claws. Whenever anything bad happens, Suzy gets the blame--"usually because she had done it." Drat that cat! One day, Suzy stops eating; the children try everything, but she just lies listlessly on the bed. Dad takes her to the vet, who advises that she stay overnight. The house seems very empty without her. The children cry and even look in the garden for a place to bury Suzy. Two days later, Suzy has recovered and can come home. Everybody celebrates, treating Suzy like a queen. Late that night, Suzy visits Charlie, the dog next door, and explains that she was just pretending. She wanted the family "to know JUST how much they love [her]." Ross smartly keeps the text simple, letting his hilarious illustrations and keen understanding of feline psychology shine. A must for any child with a cat in the family. (Picture book. 4-7)

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August 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Suzy is the sort of cat to claw up the furniture, pee in golf bags, and make a general mess of things when she is feeling naughty. Usually she is very loving, especially toward people who don't like cats, like Grandpa. One day, though, she realizes that she is tired of her family being annoyed with her and decides to teach them a lesson; she fakes an illness and they are all so worried about her that they accept her behavior, good or bad, and she enjoys the love from her now-grateful family. Ross is famous for his skillful depictions of characters who aren't all good but who readers are invited to love anyway. His sense of humor is fully present here in the creation of a manipulative feline who feels that she has been slighted by her ordinary human family who have very normal reactions to her bad habits (dead birds in the living room, hairballs, etc.). Snarky yet sweet, Ross's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations add comical details that will reward repeated sharing.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Suzy misbehaves constantly, prompting her family members to exclaim "Drat that cat!" But after Suzy (supposedly) falls ill, they bend over backward to show their affection and concern. The text expertly paces Suzy's outrageous behavior, her decline into "illness," and her family's over-the-top coddling for a surprise ending. Scribbly pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations capture Suzy's utterly feline self-satisfaction at outsmarting her humans.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)