The Amazing Crafty Cat: 06/03/17

The Amazing Crafty Cat by Charise Mericle Harper is the first in a new middle grade graphic novel series. It's Birdie's birthday and she's made panda cupcakes to share at school. But when she drops them on the way her perfect day begins to unravel.

Thematically, this book reminds me of the webcomic, Sarah's Scribbles (now in print as Adulthood is a Myth and Big Mushy Happy Lump. Birdie spends a lot of her time living in her head — imagining the outcome of things, or planning her next crafts. While she's super-creative, she's easily distracted.

The various birthday disasters and school scenes are set-ups to introduce the crafts. The book's strength is its craftiness. Plot-wise, it's pretty bland — nothing much different from a typical Babymouse book or similar.

For it's intended audience, though — graphic novel, craft loving, upper elementary school aged readers — the book is a hit. My daughter tore through the book in about half an hour on a car trip and re-read it once we got home.

There's a second book in the works, Crafty Cat and the Crafty Camp Crisis coming out on August 15, 2017.

Three stars

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