When the Silliest Cat Was Small

Gilles Bachelet
Abrams Books for Young Readers (2007)
ISBN 9780810994157
Reviewed by Samuel Peralta (age 6) for Reader Views (12/07)

I liked the story “When the Silliest Cat Was Small.”  When I read the title, I thought the story was about a cat, but it is not.  In the story, a man wants to adopt a cat, but he really adopts an elephant.  The elephant gets into lots of trouble.  He makes a mess while taking a bath, gets bored easily, and does not like to sleep.  At first, I was confused, because the man does not know he adopted an elephant, but after reading it again I thought it was funny and silly.  I like the pictures.  They made me laugh.  I would recommend this book to my friends.

Parent’s Note:  At first, this story was a bit confusing.  You keep expecting for the man to realize that his adopted pet is not a cat.  That never happens.  We read this story to Sammy three times.  The first time he just had a blank expression.  The other two times he enjoyed the pictures and thought the story was silly.  It’s a cute concept, but a bit out of the reach for young readers— especially since the author never acknowledges what is obvious.  Younger children will be confused and older kids will pause and enjoy it after a second read.

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