Review by Libs_Books -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat

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Libs_Books
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Review by Libs_Books -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat

Post by Libs_Books »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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I am sure that some children, particularly animal lovers, will adore The Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R. F. Kristi. The narrator – Inca, a Siberian “kitty” - is a very engaging character, and her family and friends make up a good mix: male and female; feline, canine and human, and even rodent (Charlotte, the hamster). My favourite, though, is Inca's brother, Fromage, the cheese-eating tabby. In the run-up to Christmas, the gang set out to resolve a mystery and help a neighbour by finding a will that has apparently disappeared.

The main plot line takes quite a while to emerge – we're on page 58 before we get to the nub of the problem – but that's because the story is framed by a sub-plot about a missing neighbour. Conveniently, this gets the more expert detectives out of the way so that Inca and her gang can get to work. There is also a sub-sub-plot about the rather creepy person supposedly taking care of their friend Monk, a Blue Russian cat, while his owner is away.

Youngsters in the 6-8(ish) age bracket will probably enjoy hearing the story read to them, and may in any case need an adult on hand to help them keep track of the many characters. Slightly older and more confident readers will probably manage by themselves; the vocabulary can be challenging at times and some sentences are quite complex, but I like the fact that Kristi does not patronise her readers.

I have some reservations about the portrayal of the main villain – dubbed 'Stinky Porkster' by Inca. It's not so much that he's fat, which is quite common in children's book villains, but at one point he is described as “a mad demon” with “demonic eyes”. 'Well', you might say, 'what other kind of eyes would a demon have?' I know many children will happily consume whole books featuring demons (and daemons), but I think this book is aimed more at their younger brothers and sisters, and this kind of language seems out of place here. Having said that, with an adult reading it aloud, I doubt there would a problem.

One potential issue with coming to this book (which is number 5 in the Inca book series) as a new reader, is that there are a lot of characters to deal with: over 20, taking humans and animals together. No doubt, devoted followers of Inca will want to know what's going on with friends they've met in previous books - but, when you add in the complex plot, that's quite a lot to deal with. Although you could look at it another way and say that Kristi's certainly giving you your money's worth.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It's an amusing and enjoyable detective story romp with charming illustrations (by Jorje Valle) but doesn't quite make it into the top rank, partly because of the rather rambling plot. What I liked most about it is that different characters learn to work together and everyone's contribution is recognised.

******
Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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Post by EvaDar »

What a great review. You are a good writer. I haven't yet read the book, but am interested in meeting Inca and the others. You have written a balanced, comprehensive review. Thank you.
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Post by Kat Berg »

I have read so many reviews on this book, but this is probably the most detailed, and I have the best idea of what the book is about from it. This book was book of the day awhile ago, so I have it in my library, but just haven’t gotten to it yet, but each review reminds that it seems like a cute book I would enjoy.

Also, there seems to be a bit of a consensus that Fromage is a favorite character:) thanks for the review!
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Post by kdstrack »

I agree that this book will be attractive to cat lovers. Children will enjoy being able to read it on their own. Nice review.
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Post by ReyvrexQuestor Reyes »

This is an interesting review. The subject, cats, are fascinating themselves. This novel could lend to a very delightful animated presentation. How many films were made out of animal characters? It is quite something here that cats are the main characters and not the villains as in many animations I have seen. Thank you for your review.
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Post by Libs_Books »

Thanks to all four of you for dropping by and taking the trouble to post encouraging comments - much appreciated. :)
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Post by Ashiyya Tariq »

It seems to be a very versatile book, accompanied by animals, demons and human beings. Children would like this charming detective story. Thanks for this nice review.
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Post by JessNWheeler »

My kids and I enjoyed this book. Great review!
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Post by kandscreeley »

This is a very nice review. You've given a great deal of useful information for any who are looking to possibly purchase this book. It sounds like a cute read.
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Post by Libs_Books »

Thanks Sarah, Jess and Kandscreeley for your encouragement.
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Post by kfwilson6 »

You did an excellent job explaining the plot, sub-plot, and sub-sub-plot. Very good analysis of the appropriate target audience for this group. I had to turn back to the beginning to review Inca's list of family members and re-read all the way through the introductions again once everyone finally came on to the scene. I could not keep track of them all. Maybe Kristi introduces them in batches in books 1-4 so it may not be as confusing for those who have followed the entire series.

I was not a huge fan of the Porkster comments. Although I found them funny, I am not an impressionable young child and know that referring to people by ugly names because of their size is inappropriate. I hope no one takes that as acceptable behavior after reading the book.
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Libs_Books
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Post by Libs_Books »

kfwilson6 wrote: 06 Mar 2018, 15:39 I was not a huge fan of the Porkster comments. Although I found them funny, I am not an impressionable young child and know that referring to people by ugly names because of their size is inappropriate. I hope no one takes that as acceptable behavior after reading the book.
Thanks for your kind comments - and, yes, I agree with that last bit. One of the reasons why I like the idea of parents reading, even to slightly older children, is so that they can discuss things like that.
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Post by CommMayo »

Nice review. I didn't understand until now that this was book five of an existing series. I can't stand jumping into the middle of a series, mostly because of the deluge of characters issue that you noted.
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Libs_Books
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Post by Libs_Books »

Thanks for the comment, CommMayo - yes, I think that's something that more experienced authors manage skilfully, often by keeping the list of characters that recur limited to maybe one or two strong central character(s) and a few minor roles. Thinking of Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple, for example.
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Post by Jaime Lync »

Great review! I agree with your note on demons and demonic eyes. That kinda languish is a little too out there for the younger readers/listeners, in my opinion.
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