4 out of 4 stars
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi tells the story of Inca and her gang of furry friends as they solve mysteries in their neighborhood. Her feline siblings Cara and Fromage, their friends Charlotte the hamster, fat cat Monk, the sleuthing dog Terrance, and yappy Polo, all come together to form a detective agency. Inca, the protagonist and aspiring investigator, invites readers to join the journey through her very own diary.
In hopes of becoming the best cat detective the world's ever seen, Inca sets out on an adventure of a lifetime. While Terrance is in search of a neighbor's missing husband, Inca and her crew decide to help former bully Boss the dog find a way to keep his home so he can stay with his humanoid.
This adorable children's book would be a hit in any home. From the first line you get into Inca's voice and each of the supporting characters has an original personality of their own. Each character is distinct, with both negative and positive traits and qualities that make them memorable. From Boss' tendency to growl to Fromage's undying love of cheese, children and parents alike will love these characters. The story is incredibly engaging, a genuine mystery filled with drama and tension, and I found myself eagerly turning each page.
The book was playful, creative, and funny from start to finish. For a children's book, the author managed to keep an adult on her toes, unsure of what would happen next. It was fun to see the story unfold through the eyes of Inca herself; her commentary on the situations in her diary were hilarious. Not to mention the illustrations of the house pets were absolutely the cutest!
This would be the perfect book for elementary school kids just getting into chapter books, those that love animals or mysteries, and would work perfectly for a parent to read as a bedtime story to younger kids. In fact, the story lends itself quite nicely to parents who read to their children, with numerous opportunities to do different voices and countless sections where Inca's written big noisy words for emphasis.
The book is near perfect, but there is one minor issue I could see children having. There are a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story, with the majority of them being introduced right at the beginning. For a younger reader it may be difficult to remember who is who, although the author does do an amazing job of describing each character in a way that makes them easy to distinguish from the rest. Still, I can see how a child could get confused having to remember such a large amount.
Overall, Inca's story was an absolute joy to read, and I'd recommend it in a heart beat. An imaginative tale any animal lover would enjoy, I give the book 4 out of 4 stars. It's rare to find a children's book with so much heart and such an incredibly rich story, but Snoopy Cat hits the mark and then some. I look forward to seeing more of Kristi's work.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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