Review - I Am a Cat

I Am a Cat
by Galia Bernstein
Date: 2018
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

A simple housecat named Simon encounters some bigger cats: Lion, Puma, Panther, Tiger, and Cheetah. Each of the big cats has something to say about Simon not being “cat” enough. According to them, he just doesn’t measure up. He doesn’t have Lion’s mane or Cheetah’s spots. He doesn’t sleep in trees like Panther or climb mountains like Puma. He’s small and fuzzy, not big and strong. But ultimately, Simon shows the big cats that he’s just like them . . . only smaller.

A celebration of both individuality and community, I Am a Cat is a strong debut that shows we’re all more alike than we think... if we look closely enough.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a cute book about the things that make us different... but also the things that make us the same.

Simon is just a housecat. When he tells the bigger cats (Lion, Cheetah, Puma, Panther, and Tiger) that he's a cat just like them, they laugh and proceed to point out all the differences. When Simon calls them out on the fact that they're not all the same themselves, the bigger cats then list all the ways in which they're similar. But those things go for Simon, too, and eventually the bigger cats realize that he's one of them.

The illustrations are really cute. The expressions on the big cats' faces when Simon proclaims he's just like them are pretty funny. There are also some nice pictures showing all the common traits that the cats share.

It's a simple story, but with a nice message about how we have more in common with each other than we might think.

Quotable moment:

 
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5