3 out of 4 stars
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi follows Inca, a Siberian kitty, through her desire to become a successful and renowned kitten detective. When Terrence, a dog friend of Inca’s and a famous detective, leaves town to find a missing person, it is up to Inca, her siblings, and their friends to help Boss, a neighborhood dog, keep Ned, his human, in his beloved home. Boss is certain Ned’s uncle left the house to Ned in his will, but the will is nowhere to be found. A bad man, amusingly nicknamed Stinky Porkster, threatens to take the house for himself. Can Inca and her fledgling detective team find the will and restore Ned’s home to him before it’s too late?
Diary of a Snoopy Cat is an excellent book for elementary school-aged children in want of an animal-centric mystery. Kristi does an excellent job of making the text fun and accessible to younger readers. A Family Tree in Inca’s voice at the beginning presents a clever and simple way to establish who the important characters are, as well as giving us a sense of how Inca feels about each of them. In what feels like typical kitty attitude, Inca ranks herself superior to her brother and sister. She also makes it known that, while her human mother thinks she “owns” her cats, Inca and her siblings actually “own” their mother. Little touches like this, combined with cats and dogs meowing or barking dialogue, keep up the idea we are among animals throughout the story.
Inca’s voice is witty and sharp and exactly what I would expect from a kitten. When she is fantasizing about being a detective, Inca daydreams about dogs bowing to her brilliance, which seems like such a cat thought. When her mother is chatting on webcam with Inca’s aunt, Inca checks herself out in the camera, just like a cat might. The only little thing that pulled me from the cat headspace was when Inca talked about things she loved about Christmas. Decorating and presents are mentioned, but I kept waiting for her to talk about climbing the Christmas tree or using it as a scratch post.
When Boss arrives with his dilemma, Monk, one of Inca’s friends, calls Boss on his bullying attitude. Before they’ll help him, Monk makes Boss promise to treat all cats with respect going forward. Boss grumbles but agrees, which leads into a fruitful arrangement for all. This truce subtly shows how being friendly can help everyone. Kristi cleverly weaves a lesson into the story in such a way that wouldn’t cause kids to abandon the book because it’s too preachy.
The investigation itself has just the right amount of suspense. Inca is brave and resourceful—a kitten heroine to cheer for. She thinks, and lands, on her feet. With her team behind her, there’s nothing she can’t puzzle her way out of. Even as a solo act, Inca is a force to be reckoned with. The ending of this story left me very satisfied and feeling like I had just made a contingent of furry friends.
I give Diary of a Snoopy Cat 3 out of 4 stars. It is clear a lot of time went both into the writing and editing of this book. It is a very enjoyable read. As I said earlier, the content and tone of this book is a good fit for elementary school readers, but the writing itself felt a bit too old for that age range. Some of the sentences seemed on the long side, which might give struggling readers a particularly tough time. This makes the book a perfect candidate for parents to read with their children. Also at one point, Inca refers to the man who seems to like her mother as a “simpering idiot,” and this struck me as a bit harsh. A lighter word, like goof, would have fit better. All in all, a fun romp through an amusing mystery that lends itself well to having sequels.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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