3 out of 4 stars
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat, by R.F. Kristi, is a children’s book narrated by a curious, outgoing Siberian cat. It is the fifth book in a series of books. However, it is not necessary to have read the previous books in order to read this one. While there are some mentions to previous adventures, they do not interfere with this book’s story line. And the book starts out with a list of characters to help those who have not read the previous books. Then, it jumps into the diary of Inca, the snoopy cat, as she tries to solve detective mysteries. There are two main missions Inca has in this story. One involves a golden retriever who is trying to locate a human in the Himalayas. The other is to help a bully dog named Boss. Boss wants Inca’s help to find a will so that he and his human can stay in their house.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of capturing the characteristics of cats and dogs in the characters’ personalities. And the personalities of each character are well developed and unique, especially for a children’s’ book. The story was exciting. And I think children would identify with Inca’s personality. Overall, I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I would highly recommend this book to children who like pets, especially cats. I think it would be best for children from about seven to twelve years old. Really, this book would be fun for any age to read who enjoys pets, animals, and detective stories. It is also best read around Christmas time.
There are a few things that keep me from giving the book 4 out of 4 stars. Mainly, I think the book may have been a bit too long. There were a lot of unnecessary details. I found it hard to keep my attention, and I imagine children would have an even harder time. Also, I, personally, did not love the pictures. They are all in black and white. I think I might have liked them better with some color. Additionally, this may be a bit nit-picky, but I did not like the font. It is possible that kids would like it more, but I found it difficult to read.
The book often intentionally made grammar mistakes. For example, on page three, Inca says “I AM the TOPSTER around here” and “I bet you, you wouldn’t find any kitty smarter than me…” I know there is some controversy in intentionally making grammar mistakes in children’s books. Children are using books to learn correct English, grammar, and vocabulary. It might be a bit dangerous to start making up words for fun. But this book only does this a little bit. Generally, it is full of great vocabulary that children can learn. Inca does a great job of describing characters and situations using lots of advanced words such as "woe-be-gone" and "inquisitiveness." It is especially full of great English idioms such as "tickled pink." I think this would be very useful for kids.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed reading about Inca, her friends, and their adventures. Their unique personalities makes it easy to fall in love with the characters. I think most children, especially those who like pets and detective stories, would enjoy reading these stories. It will make them want to read the whole series.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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