The Scariest Kitten in the World

by Kate Messner, MacKenzie Haley (Illustrator)

Overview

A terrifying tome guaranteed to scare the stuffin' outta ya (not really). After a warning and a suggestion that readers find friendlier reading material about rainbows and such, the tale opens on a dismal, decrepit house (on a dark and stormy night, of course). Down a dim hallway sits a "ragged old door." "And SOMETHING WAS THUMPING BEHIND THAT DOOR." The door creaks open. A flash of lightning throws a menacing shadow across the floor--"Are you sure you want to turn the page?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374390051
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Kate Messner is a New York Times–bestselling author of multiple children’s books, among them Over and Under the Pond, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, The Brilliant Deep, and How to Read a Story. Before becoming a full-time writer, Kate was a TV news reporter as well as an educator who spent fifteen years teaching middle school English. These days, she splits her time between Lake Champlain and southwest Florida and is trying to summit all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in between book deadlines.

MacKenzie Haley is an illustrator, runner, and cat lover who currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky. Her books include The Ninja Club Sleepover, Pega Sisters Go to Camp, and Funny Little Ghost. She has currently reached the maximum amount of cat shirts a grown woman is allowed to have, and is banned from buying any more (but can accept them as gifts).

Editorial Reviews

2023-05-09
A terrifying tome guaranteed to scare the stuffin’ outta ya (not really).

After a warning and a suggestion that readers find friendlier reading material about rainbows and such, the tale opens on a dismal, decrepit house (on a dark and stormy night, of course). Down a dim hallway sits a “ragged old door.” “And SOMETHING WAS THUMPING BEHIND THAT DOOR.” The door creaks open. A flash of lightning throws a menacing shadow across the floor—“Are you sure you want to turn the page?” The narrator notes that readers might rather read about ice cream sandwiches or crayons…for on the next page, the narrator is revealed to be…a tiny, white kitten with one wee fang (horrifying, huh?) The kitten’s not pleased that readers are laughing. The feline calls on a bevy of fiendish friends, among them adorable puppies (not menacing) and a plump yellow chick yelling “BOO!” (totally not bloodcurdling). The kitten’s sure the whole group can be made over to chill hearts. Nope. But wait…what’s that at the door? Messner goes full-on goofy with this tale of a feline determined to frighten. Haley’s not-so-dark cartoon illustrations of pudgy, sweet animals perfectly contradict the kitty’s narration. The cover featuring the cutie-patootie, jewel-eyed kitty spoils the central joke a bit, but hammed-up to the correct degree, this is sure to have ’em howling (with laughter, not fear) in the aisles. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Diverting feline fun for Halloween (or any time of year). (Picture book. 2-7)

Kirkus Reviews

"Messner goes full-on goofy with this tale of a feline determined to frighten. Haley’s not-so-dark cartoon illustrations of pudgy, sweet animals perfectly contradict the kitty’s narration... this is sure to have ’em [readers] howling (with laughter)." —Kirkus

"Mock-horror text by Messner has oodles of performance potential, while the art’s sweet-natured, wink-wink personality should remind readers of the sense of empowerment and glee that can come from playing monster." —Publishers Weekly

"Messner’s lively text is humorously offset and extended in Haley’s vibrant cartoon illustrations... A good choice for fans of the classic There's a Monster at the End of this Book." —Booklist

"The illustrations and text work together seamlessly, creating a masterful story hour experience that will be enjoyed over and over...A funny, perfectly childlike conceit explored to its full capacity for chuckles." —School Library Journal

"The well-paced text, vibrant pencil and digitally painted illustrations, and effective use of page-turns heighten the drama—and the silliness." —Horn Book

"The text of this picture book is wordier, so older viewers might want to test their reading skills by trying it alone, while younger viewers could benefit from a reading in a melodramatic spooky voice to amp up the tension before the hilarity." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher