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NEGATIVE CAT by Sophie Blackall

NEGATIVE CAT

by Sophie Blackall ; illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Pub Date: Aug. 31st, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-399-25719-3
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Sometimes things aren’t what they seem at first.

A child with brown skin has been asking for a cat for 427 days! His family finally says yes if he agrees to certain conditions, including reading every day. Uh-oh; reading is not this child’s favorite activity. When the cat arrives, he reveals his true personality—gloomy. He won’t play, listen to jokes, or fetch. What’s worse, he leaves a hairball on the carpet, poops in the vestibule, and stares at the wall. What’s even worse is that the kid’s parents point out their unmet conditions. What to do? Well, as it turns out, what the cat likes best is what the child likes least—reading. An unusual cat for sure. Set against brown-paper backgrounds, the illustrations feature muted tones of orange, pink, blue, and green. Attention has been paid to portraying a variety of skin tones, from lighter beige to deeper brown, both within the protagonist’s interracial family and among his friends; however, the mother’s facial features lack consistency. Varying compositions in the spreads adds to the tension and resolution of the story. Understated text brings a dry sense of humor to the child’s plight even if the interactions between the child and the family seem at times a bit adversarial. An author’s note describes the true event on which this story is based and offers readers ideas on how they can go read to animals. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A humorous tale in which everyone gets what they want—even a negative cat!

(Picture book. 4-7)