There's nothing cats love more than someone who doesn't love them. That's just one of the truisms that show up in this predictable pet tale. There's also the father-as-fool, the manipulative mom and the clever kids who collude in her efforts to keep a series of rescued cats. Said cats are found on a rainy day, rescued from a parking lot and picked up on the way home from school, among other things, and while there's a brief mention of posting notices to find the original owner for one poor puss, in general their adoptions don't seem to include much consideration of where they came from. Instead the focus is on the father's increasingly absurd objections, played for laughs as silly tantrums. Parkins's cartoonish exaggerations are generally appealing, but his depiction of the father in shorts and striped shirts enhances his depiction as a childish figure. Laborious rhymes and excessive repetition make this difficult to read aloud, and the revelation at the end that Dad prefers dogs won't surprise savvy listeners. Not a keeper. (Picture book. 5-8)
That Cat Can't Stay
Narrated by Kevin M. Connolly
Thad KrasneskyUnabridged — 7 minutes
That Cat Can't Stay
Narrated by Kevin M. Connolly
Thad KrasneskyUnabridged — 7 minutes
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Overview
Cats. You either love ' em or hate ' em. But what happens when Mom loves cats and Dad detests them? In That Cat Can' t Stay, Mom keeps adopting stray cats while Dad' s objections get more and more absurd:
“ Mom found a little calico. / Dad said, That thing has got to go. There' s no use begging. Don' t say please. / I don' t like cats. They scratch my knees. They carry fleas. They make me sneeze. / They' re always getting stuck in trees. I want it gone. Send it away. / I' m telling you, that cat can' t stay.”
Clever Mom convinces Dad to let each cat stay for a short time, and once they' re comfy in the house, they never leave. One stray, then two, then three, and Dad is at his wit' s end. When stray cat number five moves in, Dad finally takes a surprising stand.
Dog-lovers, cat-lovers, and even cat-haters, will love this funny, heart-warming book.
Editorial Reviews
In this light comedy, the creators of I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way again spotlight family dynamics. Energetic rhymed couplets relay how Mom and kids repeatedly bring home stray cats, driving Dad crazy. With each new arrival, he launches into a chorus of reasons why he doesn't like cats (“They scratch my knees./ They carry fleas./ They make me sneeze./ They're always getting stuck in trees”) and decrees that the stray must go. After tactically agreeing with her husband, manipulative Mom describes what dreadful fate will befall the feline if they don't take it in, and Dad reluctantly relents, still insisting, futilely, “that cat can't stay.” Parkins's high-spirited cartoons depict animals and humans with amusingly exaggerated facial expressions, especially the exasperated father who, with his multiple tantrums and ever-present shorts and sneakers, far more resembles an overgrown toddler than a patriarch. While the verse veers into doggerel territory in its bounciness (“I see you do not want this pet/ though he might get completely wet”), the buffoonlike father's antics should prove kid-pleasing. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
"This light comedy . . . spotlight[s] family dynamics. Energetic rhymed couplets relay how Mom and kids repeatedly bring home stray cats, driving Dad crazy . . . spirited cartoons depict animals and humans with amusingly exaggerated facial expressions . . . The buffoonlike father's antics should prove kid-pleasing." —Publishers Weekly
"This book expertly combines a comic, rhyming text with hilarious cartoon illustrations to create a completely enjoyable romp." —School Library Journal
"That Cat Can't Stay [is] an absolutely adorable book and exactly how the Viorsts once wound up with four cats." —Judith Viorst
"Parkins visualizes this comic opera with cartoon-like pen and ink and watercolor illustrations of cartoon-like characters displaying exaggerated behavior. Dad in particular is portrayed in lively vignettes." —Children's Literature
"He may rant and rave, but ultimately this softhearted dad lets the strays stay. David Parkins' hilariously detailed pictures add to the fun and the surprise ending." —Baltimore's Child
"This is a funny book with a riotous rhyming text and illustrations . . . that seem to leap right off the glossy white pages in visual hyperbole. It makes a great read-aloud. In fact, once you've read it, you'll long for the chance to share it orally. Even if you don't like cats this book will tickle you." —Puget Sound Council
"This is a rhyming picture book about our love affair with animals—a book for reading together, but it easily opens discussions about what we like/dislike, getting along, flexibility, and being open to change." —The Reading Tub.com
"The rollicking rhyming tale with its comical pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations is an enjoyable read-aloud for pet lovers." —Horn Book
This is a purr-fect read-aloud for any family that finds that they too seem to collect animals. I'd even recommend it happily to dog lovers.
This one's a real winner. I want to read it aloud—to my class, to my grandkids, to my friends.
A joy to read aloud
David Parkins does a wonderful job of creating engaging expressions for both cats and people. The lively rhyme and comic illustrations are sure to make readers giggle, and the poor, kind-hearted dad certainly deserves the happy ending he gets.
Parkins visualizes this comic opera with cartoon-like pen and ink and watercolor illustrations of cartoon-like characters displaying exaggerated behavior. Dad in particular is portrayed in lively vignettes
He may rant and rave, but ultimately this softhearted dad lets the strays stay. David Parkins' hilariously detailed pictures add to the fun and the surprise ending.
[An]inventive tale that will bring your family together—with the cat OR dog—for a laugh and a smile.
K-Gr 3—This book expertly combines a comic, rhyming text with hilarious cartoon illustrations to create a completely enjoyable romp. Poor Dad is no match for clever Mom, a cat lover who manages to finagle not one, not two, not three, but FOUR cats into the household. One by one she brings them home and uses guile to convince her husband to keep them, just for a while. Each time he objects with a long-winded diatribe about why the cat can't stay, and still she finds a way to tug at his conscience. ("'You're right again,' Mom said to Dad, 'and I won't cry or get too sad, just thinking of this little cat and how a car might squish her flat.'") Of course, the kids get into the act, putting on their cute little pouty faces that silently beg "pleeeease." The text reads smoothly throughout and is peppered with wonderfully expressive words such as "Vamoose!" and "scourge." Still, the book wouldn't be as good without the large cartoon watercolor and ink illustrations that simply beg to be pored over for every comical detail. Of particular note are Dad's priceless facial expressions that transform from stern to defeated in a few short steps. With a repetitive refrain that makes for a great read-aloud, this book is the cat's meow for children young and old.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940176706567 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Flashlight Press |
| Publication date: | 12/01/2022 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
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