Common Sense Media Review
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cat in constant peril in picture book better for older kids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Woogie is a good luck cat -- after all, Aunt Shelly won at bingo after petting her. But the cat is quickly running through its nine lives after she is almost killed by a car, trapped in the clothes dryer, attacked a ferocious dog, and even shot at by boys with a BB gun. When Woogie disappears one day, the little girl narrating the story fears she is gone for good. For four days she worries and searches, until she wakes up to find Woogie \"purring and singing as if she had never left.\"
Is It Any Good?
Beautiful, striped, and scrappy, Woogie’s easy to love, and illustrations of her fighting another cat with her hackles raised or contently curled up next to her food bowl are realistically rendered. While the cat is in constant peril in this book, no actual violence is shown, and the majority of elementary-school kids should be able to deal with the content. They, too, will be most struck by some of the insightful writing, such as "When I pet her she purrs as if she has a drum near her heart."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the idea of a cat having nine lives. Why do people say that about cats? What does it really mean?
What are some ways the girl was a good pet owner? Was there anything she could have done better?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Paul Lee
- Genre : Picture Book
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harcourt Brace
- Publication date : April 1, 2000
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : September 22, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate