Reading Level: Grade 1 Interest Level: Grades K – 3
Native to Maine, these felines have been mousers, farm cats, and 19th Century ship cats. Their good nature allows them to adapt well to many lifestyles and personalities. Both playful and calm, this breed is a great house pet. Cozy up with these cuties in this engaging title for growing readers.
This series on various cat breeds is designed for the primary grade reader. With colorful photographs and simple text, these books are a good choice for libraries who need to update or add more “cat books” to their collection. There are 26 books in the Cool Cats series, which includes breeds not found in other series, such as Siberians and RagaMuffins. Words found in the glossary are highlighted in the text, but without a pronunciation guide. The author begins with a history of each breed and then gives a description of what the cat looks like and how it behaves. Readers will be interested to learn that Siberians love to play in the water and that some Ocicats can open lids to get treats. An index and suggestions for further print or online reading are contained in the back matter. The photographs are appealing and show cats in different colored coats. THOUGHTS: This series is sure to be a hit in elementary libraries, especially with children who enjoy reading about this popular pet.', Denise Medwick, West Alleghency School Districtt,'Employing a similar format as Bellwether’s “Awesome Dogs,” these simply told titles introduce a few different breeds of household cats. Each volume contains five short chapters covering each cat’s history, appearance, and characteristics. The vocabulary includes appropriate and advanced words such as affectionate, cobby, tortoiseshell, and muscular—many of which can be found in the glossary. The endearing photos reflect the text well as they depict the topic cat in a variety of poses and settings. Among the additional graphics are a map showing the animal’s country of origin and a photo chart of the breed’s many coat colors. VERDICT Young cat lovers will find these colorful offerings irresistible.
