Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble

Book review by Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media
Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 7+

Zany hijinks disguise terrific storytelling lesson.

Nick Bruel Learning 2014
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Parents say

age 7+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 2+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that although Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble is enjoyable and funny as an illustrated book, it's really a very smart guide to writing stories. Bad Kitty lives up to her name: She's grouchy, uncooperative, and uninterested in playing well with others, and that's the central conflict driving the humor. The author-illustrator pays homage to classic Looney Tunes shorts by teasing and manipulating Kitty to illustrate his points.

Community Reviews

glscdawg
glscdawg Adult
November 1, 2019
age 7+

it is a very very good book

i would totally recommend it

This title has:

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What's the Story?

In BAD KITTY DRAWN TO TROUBLE, author-illustrator Nick Bruel first introduces himself and then takes readers through a Bad Kitty story, introducing Kitty as the main character and proposing a few ideas for settings before deciding on Kitty's home. The story needs conflict: Kitty loves to eat, but she needs to go on a diet. Puppy comes in as the antagonist who eats all of Kitty's food. She faints from shock, and the author proposes putting her on an all-turnip diet to recover. Kitty packs her bags to leave, but a giant octopus at the door forces her back. Bruel brings it all together for a closed ending, with Kitty now loving turnips -- but Kitty doesn't like that ending and convinces him to bring back her usual heaping pile of cat food.

Is It Any Good?

Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble is a brilliant bit of inspiration for budding writers. As he did in Bad Kitty for President, which deftly demystified U.S. politics, Nick Bruel lures readers with slapstick humor, then serves up a solid lesson on writing before they even realize they're learning. Bad Kitty is her usual cantankerous self, bristling at her creator's manipulations. Uncle Murray steps in to explain plot versus theme, closed versus open endings, and how a writer makes use of a dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming dictionary.
At the book's end, a character accuses the author of stealing the idea for the interplay between creator and character from Looney Tunes shorts. Bruel says those cartoons inspired him but he didn't copy them, and he encourages readers to write Bad Kitty books. A small quibble: If Bruel had shared his inspiration upfront, it would have been a good lesson on acknowledging source material. Bonus: At the end there's a recipe for roasted turnips.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the elements of storytelling with a favorite bedtime story, TV show, or movie. Can you identify a plot point, the antagonist, or a MacGuffin?
  • What's the difference between creating media inspired by another creative work -- such as Bad Kitty -- and copying?
  • Do you prefer stories with open endings or closed endings?

Book Details

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