Review by Cazrichmond -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat

[Caroline Anne Richmond]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi is a charming children’s book about the adventures of Inca, a Siberian cat. Inca is a super smart and rather vain cat, who dreams about being a world-famous cat detective and decides to keep a diary to record all her snooping adventures.

Inca and her furry family live in Kensington, London. Their mum and human, who they own, is Missy. She owns a cheese shop, modelled on the successful one she owned in Paris, where they previously lived. Fromage, Inca’s brother, a chubby tabby cat, adores cheese and accompanies Missy to the shop every day. Their sister, Cara, is a pretty Siamese and the family is complete with Charlotte, a Roborovski dwarf hamster.

Shortly before Christmas, the four-legged family meets up with their neighbourhood feline and canine friends. Polo, a Pekingese dog, is missing his human dad, Raoul. Whilst climbing Mount Everest, Raoul has gone missing. Recently Raoul has been spotted, injured in a village in the Himalayas. Terrence, a top Labrador dog detective is going along as part of a team, to find Raoul, leaving a position behind for a pet detective.

Boss, a misunderstood and feared Rottweiler needs help. His owner Ned, a simple man, is about to lose his home and be separated from his beloved Boss. Ned has inherited the house they share from Mr Finchley, but since Mr Finchley’s nephew, Cyril, has been on the scene, Mr Finchley’s will mysteriously disappears. Boss detects foul play and seeks help from the pet detectives to solve this case. Skilful investigation and teamwork are required to uncover the truth. Will Inca and her friends prevail and save Ned and Boss from Cyril, otherwise known as the stinky porkster?

The illustrations dotted throughout the book, by Jorge Valle, are delightful and humorous. Each drawing reflects the mannerisms and actions of the characters perfectly and adds comedy to relevant parts of the story. I found the artwork to be quite original and a real addition to the enjoyment of the novel. Cleverly, it was like the actual characters of the book had drawn their illustrations, with their personality and flair.

The story is very creative and engaging. I like the distinctive traits of each character, with each one containing particular breed characteristics. Some good messages are included too, for example, the fearful Rottweiler, Boss, his reputation and fearful physicality make others dislike him. After getting to know him, opinions change, this seems a clear message to not judge a book by its cover. I found amusement also, in how the cats saw their human mother being their property and how Inca dreams of all the dogs bowing down to her superior intelligence. I think we have all seen this attitude in our feline friends.

Another nice addition is the references to France, including expressions and words, geography and food. This is the fifth book in the series and I noticed one of the other books is centred in France. I imagine this is a common theme to add a little bit of knowledge about the country. Although there is a series of books, this can be read as a stand-alone novel.

The book is suitable for children around the ten plus age group. It is quite long for a children’s book, with a lot of text, so for a smaller child, assistance with reading may be required. It is really fun, with lots of adventures and humour and something a child would be very entertained by. There are a lot of characters in the book, so some concentration is required to keep up with them all. Also, careful reading is required to separate which characters are animals and which ones are human.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, it’s hugely enjoyable and I found nothing to criticise. It contains no profanity or adult themes and is suitable for children, although I think adults will also get a kick out of it too. I didn’t find any grammar or spelling mistakes, so I believe it has been professionally edited. It is a great family book for those who love animals, adventures, humour and great artwork.

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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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