Naughty Kitty! by Adam Stower

Naughty Kitty!, written and illustrated by Adam Stower (Orchard Books/Scholastic, $16.99, Ages 3-6), is reviewed by Ronna Mandel.

Available at bookstores later this month, Adam Stower’s Naughty Kitty! is sure to be a story time treat! I can already hear the laughter of little ones as their parent or favorite librarian shares this delightful picture book from the author that brought us Silly Doggy!

I absolutely adore clever cat books. When my kids were young I was always on the look out for something funny and
feline-oriented like this picture book. The hilarity of the artwork (see Kitty’s subtle facial expressions) coupled with the main character’s mistaken belief that her adorable and angelic pet is up to no good, make Naughty Kitty! one of this spring’s sweetest stories.

When opening this picture book to the front matter, readers will learn from a newspaper cover illustration that a wild animal is on the loose. At the very same time young Lily is bringing home her precious new pet Kitty. I love how Stower positioned the escaped tiger behind the hedge with just enough stripe showing to keep us turning the page.

“He was a bit scruffy …
and no good at tricks …
but otherwise he
was quite cute,
especially when you tickled his tummy.”

What works so wonderfully is that, while unbeknownst to Lily, the reader realizes a wild tiger is about to enter the kitchen where she’s left little Kitty alone. The escapee proceeds to make a shambles of the kitchen, devouring everything in sight including “two teaspoons and a dirty sponge.” Thankfully though, the tiger has no appetite for Kitty! Lily scolds the innocent kitten and cautions him to leave the living room intact while she tidies up the mess.  Can you guess what happens next? Yep, tiger who has been peeking through French doors, strikes again. This time enormous paw prints that have stained the den carpet hint at an intruder, but Lily still fails to notice the wild animal. It’s no surprise then that Lily, now quite “cross”, blames everything on Kitty. At this point Stower’s got youngsters pulling for poor, poor Kitty!

The shenanigans continue outside as Lily reprimands her pet yet again and threatens to tell her mother. But here Stower has a surprise in store for readers that makes reading through to the back matter a must. So get the book, read it cover to cover and when your own friendly feline is itching for a tummy rub, indulge him!