Splat the Cat

My son loves books, so we pretty much get books on topics that will be big changes coming up in his life to prepare him for them. He will be going to school next year and we purchased this book. He is already excited to go to school and loves reading this story. The illustrations in this book are too cute.

We are a couple owned by a cat, as anyone who knows cats understands. We also own a bookstore. But enough about us, Hobo says. Here's Hobo's take on "Splat the Cat": Hobo: Splat is a cute kitten. Take it from this famous and handsome cat, I recognize Splat's anxiety about the first day of school. Way to go, Splat, for hanging in there. I give you two thumbs up (I really do have thumbs!) People owned by Hobo, bookstore folks: people love this book. I just had someone buy this out of the store this morning, at full price, which is saying a lot, because hardcover books are getting soooooo expensive at full retail price. But these parents didn't even bat an eyelash, because their daughter was obviously entranced and highly amused by Splat. We have Splat on display in our store right by "Hobo Finds A Home", "A Home for Dixie", "Chosen By A Horse", "Rescuing Sprite", "Kitten's First Full Moon", Chester and "The Art of Racing in the Rain".

Poor Splat is so worried about his first day at Cat School. His tail twitches all over, and he does whatever he can to delay. Before his mother manages to drag him out of the house, he slips his pet mouse, Seymour, into his lunchbox, figuring that at least he'll have a friend on what is sure to be a scary day. When Splat gets to school, his round and kind teacher, Mrs. Wimpydimple, and his new classmates all make him feel welcome. Splat asks a lot of questions, but he finds out just how amazing his species can be. One cardinal rule that Mrs. Wimpydimple teachers them is that "cats chase mice." At lunchtime, chaos breaks loose when Seymour escapes the lunchbox, and Splat's classmates do what cats do. With Seymour's help, Splat can teach his fellow cats a few new tricks, and even save the day. This lovingly detailed book shows a lot of personality in its illustrations, and was an absolute joy to read. I'm sure that reading it aloud with a child would be even more fun! Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

I work in a small independent book store and get to see all the latest children's books. Unfortunately, most of the 'newer' authors leave me cold. Not so with Rob's wonderful characters and illustrations. He makes me laugh out loud (I'm 61) so I have to say his books will appeal to and entertain children and adults (which helps when your child asks you to read the book for the 48th time) Buy his books...all of them. They will be classics in years to come. They are a welcome addition to the growing collection of 'best of the best' children's books that await my grandchildren.

I love Splat the Cat. Great/Wonderful/Fun illustrations. I hope there will be a sequel. Great message.

So I totally thought I could never adore a literary animal as much as I liked Russel in Scotton's Russel the Sheep, but today I met Splat, and I think Russel may have to move down a spot on my list. Splat is a really fat and frizzy black cat, heading off to his first day of cat school. As his tail "wiggled wildly with worry," Splat decides to bring his pet mouse and best friend, Seymour, to school with him. Well as you can imagine, bringing a mouse to cat school causes all sorts of mayhem. Luckily, being as small as a mouse, Seymour is able to get the door to the milk cupboard unstuck and save both his and Splat's day. For the second day of school, Splat's tail "wiggled wildly with excitement. " While the cover for Splat the Cat would have you believe that this is just an ordinary cat and mouse tale, every illustration offers something unexpected and whimsical. Whether it be the alarm clock pointed to "too early" or Splat's little mouse slippers or the cat with a cheshire grin full of braces, I found that I scanned every page multiple times to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Not to mention, Splat is drawn perfectly. Every frizzy little hair on his head indicates the worry and excitement Splat feels about the first day of school. And the best part is, Scotton reminds readers that for all our worrying, most things come out all right in the end. For additional reviews and reading suggestions, visit my site.