Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet, offbeat short stories filled with fun absurdities.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE KIDS OF CATTYWAMPUS STREET are a wildly different group of friends whose lives are woven together in a series of short stories filled with magic and adventure. Rodney's pet rock is a street favorite; Carlotta shrinks to fit into a dollhouse; Ameera gets all the animals around her to sing; Bob jumps off into nature to become a tiny frog, and everything mysterious and strange and wonderful seems to center around the odd Waddlebee Toy Store.
Is It Any Good?
Author Lisa Jahn-Clough has woven together these smart, fun, fantasy stories in a way destined to captivate and challenge young readers. The Kids of Cattywampus Street has just the right level of whimsy to be silly and enjoyable while also getting kids to think about what might be possible if they were able to weave like spiders or shrink down to doll size or chase a monkey or defeat a ghost. The characters are simple and funny, and the differences in family styles is a nice turn away from stereotypes in this lovely collection of short stories.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how coincidences shaped Jamal's view of his magic ball in The Kids of Cattywampus Street. Have you ever thought something had special powers because of coincidences like that? Do you believe in magic?
If you could shrink down and live in a small dollhouse, what would yours be like?
What other fantasy books have you read? What are some of your favorites?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Natalie Andrewson
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Anne Schwartz Books
- Publication date : July 6, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 10
- Number of pages : 128
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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