Review by bwill93 -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi
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bwill93
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Review by bwill93 -- Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi
[Following is a volunteer review of "Diary of a Snoopy Cat" by R.F. Kristi.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The Diary of a Snoopy Cat is an adorable book with kid-friendly humor and silly illustrations. Set in England, the tale of Inca and her detective buddies is entertaining and pulls the reader in from the start with the case of the missing person Raoul. The unique 'kitty,' 'doggy,' and 'humanoid' characters interact with each other in whimsical ways that result in a simple mysteries of where is Raoul and who stole the WILL? Inca is a protagonist that I couldn't help but to love, and her animal family and friends are distinct and intelligent in their own ways.
As a children's book author myself, I was pleased with the simplicity and cleverness of the illustrations. They did not distract the reader from the text, and served to enhance the scenes. The use of bold, italicized, and capitalized words, in addition to an abundance of exclamation marks, helped to emphasize words and express the personality of the narrator. The vocabulary stayed within an 8-12 year old range, and tougher words like amnesia were met with easy-to-understand explanations. The pacing was easy to follow and I liked that the paragraphs were broken up into short sentences so as to not overwhelm young readers.
Furthermore, I appreciated the use of real locations such as Bath, Kensington, and Paris. Young readers are given a taste of French cheese customs with the ridiculously cute character Fromage. The story sprinkles in a taste of adult themes such as greed (with the money-hungry Cyril) and judgment (when Inca and her friends unfairly judge Boss), yet still retains the elements of adventure and wit.
With all of this being said, the only negative comment I have, and this is really just my personal bias, is that Inca and her gang of detectives called the villain of the story “Stinky Porkster.” Yes, he is smelly and overweight, but I am personally against the use of name-calling in children's books, as I believe it gives children the permission to call their overweight friends names that are lighthearted but potentially hurtful. It is a difficult call to make since the nickname heightens the wit of the narrator, but perhaps a name directed at the villain's greediness may have been more appropriate than one directed at his weight.
All in all, I will give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It was well-written, unique, and amusing, but the only thing that keeps me from giving it a 4 is the use of name-calling. Therefore, I would indeed recommend this book, but only if you are not bothered by name-calling.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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3 out of 4 stars
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The Diary of a Snoopy Cat is an adorable book with kid-friendly humor and silly illustrations. Set in England, the tale of Inca and her detective buddies is entertaining and pulls the reader in from the start with the case of the missing person Raoul. The unique 'kitty,' 'doggy,' and 'humanoid' characters interact with each other in whimsical ways that result in a simple mysteries of where is Raoul and who stole the WILL? Inca is a protagonist that I couldn't help but to love, and her animal family and friends are distinct and intelligent in their own ways.
As a children's book author myself, I was pleased with the simplicity and cleverness of the illustrations. They did not distract the reader from the text, and served to enhance the scenes. The use of bold, italicized, and capitalized words, in addition to an abundance of exclamation marks, helped to emphasize words and express the personality of the narrator. The vocabulary stayed within an 8-12 year old range, and tougher words like amnesia were met with easy-to-understand explanations. The pacing was easy to follow and I liked that the paragraphs were broken up into short sentences so as to not overwhelm young readers.
Furthermore, I appreciated the use of real locations such as Bath, Kensington, and Paris. Young readers are given a taste of French cheese customs with the ridiculously cute character Fromage. The story sprinkles in a taste of adult themes such as greed (with the money-hungry Cyril) and judgment (when Inca and her friends unfairly judge Boss), yet still retains the elements of adventure and wit.
With all of this being said, the only negative comment I have, and this is really just my personal bias, is that Inca and her gang of detectives called the villain of the story “Stinky Porkster.” Yes, he is smelly and overweight, but I am personally against the use of name-calling in children's books, as I believe it gives children the permission to call their overweight friends names that are lighthearted but potentially hurtful. It is a difficult call to make since the nickname heightens the wit of the narrator, but perhaps a name directed at the villain's greediness may have been more appropriate than one directed at his weight.
All in all, I will give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It was well-written, unique, and amusing, but the only thing that keeps me from giving it a 4 is the use of name-calling. Therefore, I would indeed recommend this book, but only if you are not bothered by name-calling.
******
Diary of a Snoopy Cat
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like bwill93's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Toni the Superhero by R.D. Base
