My last review for The Bell Jar was super heavy, so I thought I’d follow it up with something super fun. My daughter, who is 7, is reading well above her grade level so we’ve moved on to chapter books. On one trip to the library, we stumbled across this one. She is feline obsessed, so naturally we had to pick it up even it was a bit mature still for her as a middle grade book. Look at that cover! How could you not want to know what lay within the pages? So I read a little of it to her each night, and I think I liked it even better than she did.
Synopsis
Our protagonist is a member of an alien race whose members are each given the opportunity to travel to Earth and live in the body of an Earth creature for a certain amount of time. Think of it like a vision quest. They get to choose which Earth creature they will live as for their time on Earth, and our alien decides he wants to be human. Specifically, he wants to be a park ranger at Yellowstone, because there’s nothing more badass than a Yellowstone park ranger. Unfortunately, something goes a little wrong on his journey to Earth and he arrives in the body of a cat in South Carolina, hundreds of miles from his pickup spot in Yellowstone. As a space alien who has not intricately studied how to be a cat, he finds himself in a little bit of a predicament. He doesn’t have much time to get to his destination to meet with his people before he is stuck in the body of a cat forever. With the help of a wonderful little girl and the quirky people who surround her, our furry hero just might complete his quest, and he might still learn something about being human after all.
Review
Everything about this book is wonderful. The cover is delightful, the characters are quirky and magical, the pacing is just about perfect with a wonderful mix of action thrown in to keep things interesting, and it’s ultimately a very heartwarming tale that all kids should read. It’s also laugh out loud funny in parts. Any child who has ever felt misunderstood, lonely, or wondered why they were so different than everyone else will find a friend in Olive, Leonard’s human companion. And adults might find themselves contemplating what it means to be truly blessed, that love manifests in many different ways. While my daughter isn’t really ready yet to contemplate these more cerebral themes, it does give us the opportunity to talk, her asking questions and me helping connect the dots. That’s what makes books like this so special. On another note, cat lovers will be extra amused by Leonard’s journey discovering the workings of his feline form, how exactly one such as Leonard goes about learning to eat, bathe (particularly amusing), and communicate as a cat.
Young or old alike, I recommend this beautiful story.
Published April 13, 2021 by Walker Books US. ISBN 1536207705. 240 pages.
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This sounds so cute and like such a fun read! My kids have recently developed an interest in our feline, so, while they’re also a little young for the book, it sounds like something they might enjoy.
Omgosh.. I need this! Future.. slash that. *Current crazy cat lady here and this sounds like a brilliant read. I’m so in!
Thanks for sharing it!
Also a crazy cat lady so that definitely does endear some of us to Leonard from the start. Thanks for visiting!
Lol. Life is just better with a cat.. or ten.
It was a pleasure!
Oh that was just a wonderful review!!! I don’t know much more to say about that! How light and fun! You know what? That’s why I’m so happy of my KIDS. They are aliens now ( 14 year old girl, 17 year old boy) and I miss running into those heart warming books/movies that just put a smile on my face. I think an adult only kid story book hour should be started. That would probably cut down on the negativity in this world right now! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the kind words! And that’s a wonderful idea! 🥰