Review by qsusan -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi

[qsusan]

[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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The Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R. F. Kristi is the record of the daily life of Inca the cat in the build-up towards Christmas. In compiling this diary, Inca’s dream is to become the best detective in the world. Inca first introduces her family and her friends. Subsequent diary entries detail interesting events in her life as well as her efforts to realize her dream.

Inca is not alone in her quest - her friends and family are part of the fun and join together to form Inca & Company. Inca & Company is a detective organization dedicated to solving cases. Their first case involves a missing will and requires their best ‘snooping’ to solve. Inca receives guidance from Monk in addition to prior experience gained from solving cases with both Monk and Terrance. Monk and Terrance are pets of a human detective and can be considered real and experienced detectives.

Apart from solving cases, Inca & Company do their best to provide support in the quest to find the owner-dad of their friend, Polo. Polo's dad has been missing for a while, but a recently discovered clue gives Inca hope that he will be found and safely reunited with Polo and his mom. Inca's diary also recounts the excitement as they prepare for Christmas, especially the Christmas feast.

The book’s illustrations and font were childish but appealing while the educational content was clearly presented but subtly displayed. The book's format may lead children to take an interest in keeping a personal diary while the references to France and the Himalayas may spark an enthusiasm towards geography. In addition, following Inca as she searches for clues can promote analytic thinking and help develop cognition.

Lessons which provide a groundwork to navigate social interactions can also be found in the book. Inca's diary entries, while simply telling us about Inca and her friends, show that being different isn't necessarily wrong or bad. Inca and her friends also respect each other's opinions and preferences. Unfortunately, there isn't always cautionary advice on some of the more adventurous feats or mischievous acts, and this negatively affects the book's level of safety consciousness.

The grammar and editing are informal, leaning towards simplicity rather than technical correctness. This approach is probably intended to aid in engaging the interest of the book's target audience. This target audience should be children, particularly those who have learned or begun learning how to read. I found the book interesting and fun but not a gripping read and believe it would be very suitable for bedtime reading or storytelling. Hence, I would give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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Like qsusan's review? Post a comment saying so!

[JessNWheeler]

My kids and I enjoyed this book too. It’s a fun and suspenseful fable. I appreciate the themes and lessons of determination and the importance of friendship. Great review.

[Yoli García]

The idea of a cat that is a detective is fun for the children. I liked that you indicated that the book might spark interest in geography. Thanks for the review!

[kfwilson6]

You made some excellent points in your review. I particularly like how you laid out multiple benefits of this book, especially from a parental perspective. I was a little distracted by the less formal writing but felt it was in keeping with the informal way I might expect a cat to think! I also enjoyed it but would agree it wasn't a very gripping story. I don't know that kids would be so taken with it as to be dying to continue their night time reading if this is the book of choice.

[Emmanuel Olajide]

The book appears to be a good read for children with a sense of adventure and an appetite for exploration.

[manasoko]

Interesting. Children will have fun reading it

[rcarr13]

This is a great review. I appreciate that you talked about the educational value of this story. I'm always looking for books that help my kids to learn new things. I don't like the informal grammar though. My son struggles with this in his own writing and seeing professional writers doing it the wrong way makes it even more difficult to explain.

[qsusan]

This is a great review. I appreciate that you talked about the educational value of this story. I'm always looking for books that help my kids to learn new things. I don't like the informal grammar though. My son struggles with this in his own writing and seeing professional writers doing it the wrong way makes it even more difficult to explain.

Thank you for your input. The grammar isn't wrong or filled with mistakes, it is simply simplified and may not follow the more common rules. Written English generally follows formal rules of grammar while spoken speech tends to follow informal rules.

[qsusan]

You made some excellent points in your review. I particularly like how you laid out multiple benefits of this book, especially from a parental perspective. I was a little distracted by the less formal writing but felt it was in keeping with the informal way I might expect a cat to think! I also enjoyed it but would agree it wasn't a very gripping story. I don't know that kids would be so taken with it as to be dying to continue their night time reading if this is the book of choice.

Thanks for your comment. I felt it was a good book to put children to sleep. Interesting enough for them to settle down and listen but not so gripping they would continually stay awake wanting to know what happens next in the story.

[manasoko]

I am of the opinion that children's books should always have some educational value. In particular, a book like this one which increases​ a child's curiosity towards reading is a good book.

[denizebookz]

I enjoyed your review. I am always looking for interesting books for my 6 through 11 year old granddaughters. They are all cat people so this book looks like a treat.

[denizebookz]

Enjoyed your review. I am always looking for children's books for ages 6-11 for my granddaughters. They are all cat people. I would definitely want to encourage them to journal or write in a diary.

[qsusan]

Enjoyed your review. I am always looking for children's books for ages 6-11 for my granddaughters. They are all cat people. I would definitely want to encourage them to journal or write in a diary.

Thanks for your comment. I hope your granddaughters not only enjoy reading this book but are also inspired to keep their own journals and write their stories. And here's hoping they become bibliophiles.

[qsusan]

I am of the opinion that children's books should always have some educational value. In particular, a book like this one which increases​ a child's curiosity towards reading is a good book.

I agree. Children's books should have some educational value. Whether that value is explicit or implicit matters not but it must be present.

[NneomaA]

I agree that this will be a nice book to read at storytime or before a kid goes to bed. The story and images will engage a curious mind.