I Hate My Cats (A Love Story)

by Davide Cali, Anna Pirolli (Illustrator)

Overview

Ginger is the weird one. She plays with peas, purrs at artichokes, and has a strange fondness for chicken (but only the neighbor's chicken). Then there's Fred. His greatest talent? Sleeping. Oh, and hiding. And when he's not hiding, he's conspiring with Ginger to destroy the house! Such is life with cats. . . can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em—if you love them, that is. And yet the question remains: Why are these captivating creatures so marvelously maddening?! From internationally bestselling author Davide Cali, this humorous picture book about a cat owner and his beguiling felines celebrates quirky cat companions, impurrfections and all.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452170626
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	44
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Davide Cali has published more than 40 books, including When an Elephant Falls in Love, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School . . . , and I Didn't Do My Homework Because . . . , which has been translated into 21 languages. He lives in France and Italy.

Anna Pirolli is an illustrator living in Milan, Italy. This is her first book.

Editorial Reviews

"A must-have for anyone who treasures those oh-so-complicated love-hate relationships." —School Library Journal

"Just about any human owned by a cat would appreciate this as a gift." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A must-have for anyone who treasures those oh-so-complicated love-hate relationships." —School Library Journal

"A perfect encapsulation of the madness of cats, and those that love (or hate) them." —Booklist

"Just about any human owned by a cat would appreciate this as a gift." -Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A perfect encapsulation of the madness of cats, and those that love (or hate) them." —Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2018
K-Gr 2—An ode to the charming quirks that define our feline friends. A slightly weary but bemused human narrator introduces readers to his two cats: Ginger, "the weird one," and Fred, "the lazy one." Orange tabby Ginger exhibits some oddball behaviors: purring at vegetables, chatting with pigeons, and occasionally missing the litter box. Black cat Fred enjoys sleeping on sweaters ("preferably white ones"), napping on the newspaper his human's trying to read, and casually knocking over vases. When the two cats inevitably invade their human's workspace, depicted as an artist's table strewn with paint, brushes, and pens, he yells "Stop it!" and the cats scatter. Feeling sheepish, the man leaves treats in their bowls as a mea culpa. By bedtime, the two furry scamps have forgiven him and make themselves quite comfortable—Fred nearly sitting on the man's head. "Oh, how I hate them!" the man exclaims in the find spread. The softly rounded shapes contrasted with elegant lines set against classic pre-war style décor give the visuals a sophisticated feel. Cali was clearly inspired by real-life pets, while Pirolli expertly captures both the haughty and goofy moods of Fred and Ginger. VERDICT A wry read-aloud that would work well in storytime, especially thematic programs on cats or pets we love (or love to hate), and a must-have for anyone who treasures those oh-so-complicated love-hate relationships.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2018-07-30

Fred and Ginger are typical kitties…but their human isn't always a fan.

Ginger (an orange tiger-stripe, of course) is a bit odd. "She plays with peas, / purrs at artichokes, / and speaks to pigeons." Black puss Fred is a bit lazy; he sleeps on "sweaters (preferably white ones)" and "towels (obviously white ones)" and in the sink (white). Fred also likes to sleep under the covers of the bed (which he also fully occupies) and on top of the newspaper (when it's being read). "He is friends with the vase, and the side table" (rubbing up against them) but certainly "NOT the vacuum" (when it is turned on, he runs). Fred "thinks he's good at hiding" (behind sheer drapes), and sometimes the two gang up on their human (who is an artist). He yells when he "can't take it anymore," scaring the cats…and then apologizes with treats. The cats forgive him…but he knows who is in charge. International picture-book author Cali pens a simple story every cat's human will recognize. However, it's Italian debut illustrator Pirolli's perfect portrayals of pussycats that charm from every page. Both cat expressions and the lines of their bodies are flawless. The interplay between textual narrative and illustrations is a primer in visual irony, so deadpan that children may need a few runs through to get it.

Just about any human owned by a cat would appreciate this as a gift. (Picture book. 4-10)

Kirkus Reviews