4 out of 4 stars
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The Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R. F. Kristi is a chapter book length story for children with lovely illustrations by Jorje Valle. At 179 pages, this is chapter book length, but is written as a diary, divided into sections under the date they were written, rather than as numbered or titled chapters. The story is told by the protagonist, Inca, a Siberian cat whose goal is to become the greatest cat detective. She chronicles her adventures with her furry family and friends as they seek to solve the mystery of a recently deceased neighbor’s lost will.
This book is well written and highly entertaining as the feline characters of Inca and her siblings Cara and Fromage, the hamster Charlotte and neighbor cat Monk are developed, as well as those of their canine friends, Terrance, Polo and Boss. The author demonstrates a great deal of experience with cats and dogs of various breeds and temperaments and utilizes this knowledge to create personified pets that retain enough kitty and doggy characteristics to successfully suspend the reader’s reality. These also maintain the physical abilities and limitations of cats and dogs as they go about their adventures in their homes and neighborhood.
As a cat person who also appreciates dogs, I loved how this story included so many little personality and behavior elements I have observed in cats and dogs I have known, and how the narration seamlessly put into words the thoughts I have believed were in the minds of these animals. Although the main character, whose diary we are reading, is a cat, her dog friends play significant roles in the story, making this a great book for children who love dogs as well.
The only criticism I have for this book is that it seemed fairly predictable for a detective story, however, I am an adult reader of a story intended for grade school aged children. Although I felt the story was flowing in a fairly predictable fashion, I doubt young readers will have the experience level with literature to notice. The mystery is solved and the story comes to a happy conclusion which is very age appropriate and uplifting.
I give this book a 4 out of 4 because it is superbly written, kept me interested even though I am about 20 years older than the age group for which it was written, and the editing and formatting is elegant and flawless. I would highly recommend it for children between 7 and 10, or any young reader ready to tackle a chapter book. The illustrations are beautiful additions to the story and the format reduces the total word count per page, making it a quicker read, perfect for the child who might initially be intimidated by the number of pages.
Inca and her pals are an adorable bunch of furry detectives. I hope to see many sequels to this book in the future.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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Nice review. Thanks.
