Bad Kitty Gets a Bath (paperback black-and-white edition)

by Nick Bruel, Nick Bruel (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

In case you haven’t heard, cats don’t like baths. But this hilarious account brings to life the entire process of giving a cat a bath, one detailed step at a time. Whether you have a feline friend to bathe or not, this read is riotous.

Pet owners beware!

Bad Kitty really needs a bath, and she is forced to take one in this hysterical new illustrated how-to for young readers. The following are some items you will need for Kitty's bath: one bathtub, plenty of water, dry towels, a suit of armor, a letter to your loved ones, clean underwear (because stressful situations can cause "accidents"), an ambulance in your driveway with the engine running, and, oh, yeah, you'll also need Kitty . . . but good luck with that! Kitty is at her worst in this riotous how-to guide filled with bad smells, cautionary tales of horror, and hopefully by the end . . . some soap.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312581381
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Series:	Bad Kitty Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	36,108
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of the phenomenally successful Bad Kitty series including the 2012 and 2013 CBC Childrens Choice Book Award winners Bad Kitty Meets the Baby and Bad Kitty for President. Nick has also written and illustrated popular picture books including Who Is Melvin Bubble? and Bob and Otto. Nick lives with his wife and daughter in Westchester, New York.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER TWO

FINDING KITTY

Now’s the hard part.

The bath is ready, but Kitty is not. In fact, Kitty is nowhere to be found.

Is she in her litter box?

Is she under the sofa?*

Is she sitting on her favorite window ledge?

Is she sitting in her favorite chair?

Is she lying in your bed?

So where is Kitty?

Kitty’s very good at hiding. So maybe the best step right now would be to think about where you found her all the other times she hid.

This is where she was hiding when you had to take her to the vet.*

This is where she was hiding when you had to brush her teeth.

This is where she was hiding when you had to give her medicine.

This is where she was hiding when you had to clip her nails.

This is where she was hiding when you told her to finish her vegetables.*

There’s Puppy!

Maybe Puppy knows where Kitty is hiding.

Hey, Puppy . . . Do you know where Kitty is hiding?

Hmmm . . . Maybe he doesn’t know.

Hold on . . . Since when does Puppy have black fur? Puppy has never had black fur. So maybe that isn’t Puppy at all. So who is it really? Hmmm . . .

IT’S KITTY IN DISGUISE! GET HER!

SHE’S RUNNING INTO THE LIVING ROOM! GET HER!

Excerpted from Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel.

Copyright © 2008 by Nick Bruel.

Published in 2008 by Square Fish.

All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.

Reading Group Guide

BAD KITTY

Word Scrambler
Directions: Unscramble the words on the left to make words you might read in the Bad Kitty books.
1. TELITR OXB_______________________________
2. URF LBAL_________________________________
3. CUELN RMYRUA___________________________
4. DBA YTITK________________________________
5. PPYPU_____________________________________
6. NTASREG KTYIT____________________________
7. HBTA_____________________________________
8. THYCTA TTKIY____________________________
9. OEMW_____________________________________
10. YAPHP DBRIYTAH__________________________

Drawing Activity
The neighborhood cats are on their way over with presents for Kitty. What will you bring her? Draw your present here so you can celebrate Kitty's birthday too!

Fill in the Words
Directions: Fill in the appropriate kind of words in the passage below from Bad Kitty Gets a Bath.

Be prepared. The first lesson that all cat owners must
____________ (VERB) is that CATS____________ (VERB) BATHS.
For your own safety, please repeat this to yourself ____________ (NUMBER) times. It's not that cats don't like baths. It's not that cats have a ____________ (ADJECTIVE)
relationship with baths. It's not that cats chose not to vote for baths in the last election. It's not that cats would rather choose ____________ (NOUN) over baths. It's not that cats neglect to send baths a card on their birthdays. It's not that cats pick baths last when they ____________ (VERB) sides for a kickball game. It's not that cats think about baths in the same way as ____________ (NOUN)
thinks about dogs. It's not that cats once thought baths are an awesome present that cost ____________ (amount) dollars, and then baths didn't have the decency to say "thank you".
It's simply that CATS HATE BATHS!!

Editorial Reviews

Bad Kitty ... proves once again she's a force to be reckoned with.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Anyone who loves (or hates) cats will get a good chuckle from this book: children and adults alike.” —Children's Literature

“Bruel's zany illustrations incorporate numerous perspectives that heighten the humor.” —School Library Journal

“A tubful oul of fun.” —Cape Cod Times

“Cat lovers of all ages will want to pounce on this book.” —RealVail 

“This follow-up to Bad Kitty pairs Bruel's witty asides and spastic, tongue-in-cheek commentaries with more high-energy cartoon illustrations. . . . Whether they prefer cats or dogs, young and reluctant readers will get plenty of laughs from this comic and informative chapter book.” —Booklist 

From the Publisher

Gr 2-4

Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy are back. This time they are featured in a funny, heavily illustrated "how-to" chapter book that is reminiscent of Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise's "Regarding the..." titles (Harcourt). The instructions for getting the feline into the water include begging, cajoling, and reverse psychology. The text includes clippings from the Daily Nooz , "Uncle Murray's Fun Facts," a "Quick Quiz," a glossary of cat sounds ("fft!"), and two notes from the editor to the author about what is "unprintable." The resistant cat makes a valiant effort to avoid the procedure but finally-"YEOWR!," "HISSS!"-she is bathed. The pup gets his turn in an epilogue, but without any drama. Bruel's zany illustrations incorporate numerous perspectives that heighten the humor.-Marilyn Ackerman, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

Bad Kitty usually cleans herself. Sometimes, however, when Poor Puppy chases her into a garbage can, for instance, she really needs a bath. Everyone knows that cats hate baths. "It's not that cats don't like baths. It's not that cats have a difficult relationship with baths...CATS HATE BATHS!" This helpful book gives readers instructions on how to give Kitty a bath when there are simply no other options. It begins with finding and catching Kitty, which is easier said than done. There's a helpful glossary of translations of the sounds Kitty is likely to make during the bath (one entry so R-rated it's censored by the editor), and another glossary at the back of the harder words in the text (including "glossary"). Bad Kitty has made her way through the alphabet and numbers up to 26 in previous outings, and in this heavily illustrated chapter book larded with science facts and plenty of laughs, she proves once again she's a force to be reckoned with. Multiple copies are a must. (Fiction. 5-12)

Kirkus Reviews