Parents' Guide to

Katt vs. Dogg

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Fun tale skewers prejudice and those who profit from it.

Book James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein Friendship 2019
Katt vs. Dogg Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

kimp
kimp Adult
November 8, 2022
age 9+

Fun and easy read aloud

I read this to my 1st/2nd/3rd graders and they all seemed to enjoy it. I chose to verbally edit the "shutups," "stupids," and other mildly bad language. Otherwise, the overall message about being able to get along was clearly made. There were larger themes around media and how life is exploited and presented to the public that could be interesting discussion topics for older children.
Ebilling1
Ebilling1 Adult
June 16, 2019
age 8+
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

On vacation with their respective families, Molly, from Kattsburgh, and Oscar, from Doggsylvania, are caught up in a full-blown KATT VS. DOGG road rage brouhaha that begins with an errant hairball. Retiring to their single-species campsites at Western Frontier Park brings peace and quiet, but then Molly and Oscar both manage to get lost in the woods. There they each have narrow escapes from a mountain lion, stumble across each other, and reluctantly decide their chances of survival are better if they stick together. Assorted woodland creatures help them avoid the ones who want to have them for lunch, and offer other useful assistance. Meanwhile, back in civilization, their families continue to fight like cats and dogs, and a media empire of ferrets and weasels cashes in on fanning the flames.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (5):

This is a fun tale of two kids lost in the woods who realize putting aside their species' mutual hatred is their best bet for survival. In Katt vs. Dogg, authors James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein are in top form with their storytelling skills. And they're more than a bit fed up with stupid human (er, feline, canine) tricks.

"Why would you go back there, man?" says a kindly bear who helps the young heroes. "There's nothing on the far shore but haters. Dogg hates katt. Katt hates dogg. And so on and so on and doo bee doo bee doo."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the characters in Katt vs. Dogg are different from each other -- and how they use those differences to try to make themselves feel superior. Why do you think they do this instead of trying to understand each other and get along? Have you ever noticed people behaving this way?

  • Have you ever felt pressured to do or say something you thought was wrong by someone who was important to you? What happened?

  • Do you know what to do if you find yourself lost in the wilderness? If not, can you work on a plan?

Book Details

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