Tuesday, July 12, 2016

#Review: Cat Diaries: Secret Writings of the MEOW Society by Betsy Byars/ Betsy Duffey/ Laurie Myers & Illustrator Erik Brooks



Summary:
At the annual gathering of the MEOW society, cats of all kinds convene to share their stories and those of their ancestors. Chico, the smallest cat in the world, recounts stopping a crime. The Pirate Cat tells of the fateful day when he discovered a treasure while hunting for mice. And Georgio shares his delectable―and sometimes surprising―recipes.

My review:
I decided to read Cat Diaries because well, I am a cat lover. I thought the idea of cat's having a diary in the first place sounded rather cute. The premise for children would be funny or so I thought.

Some of the stories were cute and I appreciated the humor in them but most were so-so. Also, I simply could not figure out why the book started with this big convention and then nothing but the reading of the stories by the various cats. It seemed there should have been more action or something. That was a bit disappointing.

However, one thing I did like in the book was near the end. Even though the book is targeted for 2-5 year olds, this seemed something that should have been for the older kids and even adults reading. Essentially, it called for everyone to keep writing their own stories so they are heard and known. After all, MEOW stands for "Memories Expressed in Our Writing", when we write things down, we are creating those memories to share with others about us. That makes me smile.

Overall, not a bad book and I do think young kids would like hearing the stories but it certainly is not for the youngest to read. This is not a picture book and the ages should be adjusted to an emerging reader.

3 stars.

Disclosure: I picked up a copy of this book from my local library. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~M.M. aka Naila Moon

Where to find the authors:
Amazon

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