Official Review: The Kangaroo and The Cat by S. M. Barrett

[Kristy Khem]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Kangaroo and The Cat" by S. M. Barrett.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Would you like to read a children’s story about animals and friendship? Then, The Kangaroo and the Cat by S.M. Barrett is the perfect one for you. It tells the story of a lonely kangaroo named Kloey. She is adopted by Mr. Friendly and goes to live on his farm. There, she befriends another kangaroo named Rufus. When Rufus begins playing with a cat called Tiger, Kloey feels left out. Can Kloey rekindle her friendship with Rufus? Will she and Tiger ever get along?

One of the best features of this book is that it has the ability to teach children how to cope with envious feelings when their friendships are threatened. I think that this is a valuable lesson. It is also a relatable issue that children often face with siblings and friends on the playground. This story demonstrates how easy it is to make a new friend rather than stay and sulk alone.

In addition to the book’s teachable moments, I like the book’s formatting. A large, neat font is used which makes for easier reading. The illustrations are also large and vibrantly colored. Children will certainly enjoy looking at the pictures, especially those who cannot yet read. The book seems professionally edited apart from one minor error where a space was missing between two words.

Unfortunately, one of the main flaws of this book is that the drawings did not match the story. This is what I dislike the most. For instance, Tiger is described as a spotted cat, but it is depicted with stripes instead of spots. Additionally, one of Mr. Friendly’s children is depicted without a nose. If this was consistent with the other characters, I would have chalked it up to the style of illustration, but I noticed it right away because all of the other human characters had noses.

There is also a disconnect between the genders of some of the characters and their names. For example, Rufus is typically a masculine name, so I first thought this kangaroo was a male. I later discovered that Rufus is a female. Moreover, Mr. Friendly’s children are named Maggie and Zoey. These are feminine names, but a little boy was portrayed in the illustrations to represent one of the kids. This was a little off-putting. It might pose a challenge if the book is being read in a classroom setting, where girls may have these names.

One other thing that does not add up is that Mr. Friendly is described as a zoo-keeper, but he takes Kloey to his farm, not his zoo. He is also portrayed as a farmer in the illustrations. Perhaps, it would have been more suitable if he is described as a farmer instead of a zoo-keeper.

The storyline of this book is great because it can teach children positive things about peer interactions and friendships. However, I feel like it needs improvements with the illustrations and some of the character’s names and traits. Therefore, I’m rating it 2 out of 4 stars. It will appeal most to children aged ten and under who enjoy animal stories. Parents and teachers may also be able to use it as a resource to educate their children.

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The Kangaroo and The Cat
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Like KristyKhem's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

It is too bad about the inconsistencies surrounding the gender of the animals, but I like the premise of this story. I think it is great that the author gives kids strategies to cope with the feelings of jealousy. Great review!

[Rachel Lea]

The inconsistencies between the text and the illustrations are odd. I wonder how exactly that happened? But I agree with Stephanie Elizabeth that the premise of the story is good and, as you said, teaches a valuable lesson. Thank you for your review!

[Adedayo+23]

I want to like this book because of the morale of the story, but the inconsistencies in the characters and illustrations appear to detract from it's overall quality. Thanks for the great review.

[Uinto]

I think I would consider this book to read if the editing could be improved. Thanks for the review.

[kdstrack]

Children without noses, and zoos that are farms would be confusing for young readers. That's too bad since the main premise of the book is a very needed and important lesson about friendships. I appreciate your comments about this book. Thanks.

[Wyland]

I like the moral of the story—meeting and making new friends and how to tackle envy in a relationship. These are all valuable to children growing up, who are the target audience for this book. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Magnify3]

Thank you for your honest review. Sounds like a good book if not for the inconsistencies.

[Aniza Butt]

What an insightful review!
Coping with jealously is a big problem for children and such books can play a great role in helping them out.
Thanks a lot for the review