Cat the Cat, Who is That?: 09/07/11

Harriet is a transitional reader. That means she can read simple words and is starting to wrap her head around sounding out longer words. Mo Willems has a two series aimed at readers like her: the Elephant and Piggie books and a new series staring Cat the Cat.

Since Harriet's such a cat person, we started on the Cat the Cat series first. The one she picked was Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems. It introduces Cat the Cat and all her friends. It begins pretty simply with the sorts of animals that usually show up in these sorts of books. These first few pages build confidence in the reader and build a false sense of predictability.

But remember, this is a Mo Willems book. I've yet to read a book of his that is completely predictable, except for its unpredictability. Cat the Cat comes through with a delightfully silly friend. I'm not going to spoil it for you or your young reader. Get the book and enjoy the surprise first hand.

Five stars.

Comments (4)

Comment #1: Thursday, September, 8, 2011 at 21:17:39

Katie

I love Mo Willems. It amazes me what he can do with so few words and such simple illustrations. The ending of this one is one of my favorites! Nice post. :-)

Comment #2: Sunday, September 11, 2011 at 16:20:11

Pussreboots

In his Reading Rockets interview (video | transcript), Mo Willems explains that he draws his characters so a four-year-old can draw them as that's part of the fun of reading a book when you're that age. He's certainly doing something right as these books have helped turn my daughter into an enthusiastic and confident reader.

Comment #3: Monday, September, 12, 2011 at 16:28:02

Julie @ My Book Retreat

I love Mo Willems and his Elephant and Piggie books but I just didn't like Cat The Cat as much as I had hoped. It wasn't nearly as fun as Elephant and Piggie, in my opinion. I read it when it was first published so maybe I should try it again now that my daughter is reading.

Comment #4: Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 19:15:02

Pussreboots

Cat the Cat is aimed at children who are just starting to read. That's why the vocabulary is so limited and why there is so much repetition. The Elephant and Piggie books are aimed at the next stage of reader.