Another of Osage County First Grade’s favorite cat themed books is Nick Bruel’s alphabet book Bad Kitty. 

 -She wasn’t always a bad kitty. She used to be a good kitty.

   Little upturned faces filled with anticipation, eyes bright with expectation Osage County First Grade leans forward as one while waiting on the rug at the close of the school day and I sit on my little chair holding up the book.  Giggles, groans and reading along ensues as I turn the pages.

   One day, it began, there was no food in the house for kitty; there was healthy, delicious STUFF.  Beginning with Asparagus and moving right on the yummies listed included eggplant and leeks and parsnips, watercress and zucchini as we read our way A to Z through the alphabet.

   That was when Kitty resolved that she would become a bad kitty, and she was not going to be just any old bad kitty but she would be a very, VERY bad one.   And again beginning with A, Kitty ATE my homework!  And on through the alphabet she went, bothering the baby, hurling hairballs, loitering under the no loitering sign, getting into fights with the neighbors, selling my toys writing on the walls, A to Z you get the idea  …

   The alphabet Bad Kitty encompasses 4 dissimilar alphabet series including the A to Z icky, yucky, BAD food items, alongside A to Z non-appropriate behaviors, until at last various appealing, tasty, DELICIOUS kitty food is removed from the shopping bags, and reappearance of good, really excellent kitty behavior ensues.

   Howls of laughter can be heard as Osage County First Grade shrieks with merriment from the first reading of the book during the first days of the school term, and continues to the end of the school year each time Bad Kitty is chosen by the child of the day as the book to read just before we go home at the end of the school day. 

   Bad Kitty is one of the Alphabet books we have in our ABC book bag for Little Learners to use during alphabet work. Each time it is one of the first removed from the alphabet book box and used, and the soft cover edition is regularly taken for DEAR reading time as well as take home to read to folks tonight, too.

   I like the fun quirky comicalness the writer presents.  Imaginative illustrations and kid pleasing kitty treats including chicken cheese cake, goose goulash, an order of opossum, turtle turnovers, an eXcess of Tyrannosaurus ReX and baked Zebra Ziti all serve to heighten the interest and start the giggles of Little Learners.

   As the school term continues it is a joy for me to watch the comprehension and appreciation for the humor begin and grow as Little Learners not only relish but truly grasp the merriment and joviality the author is conveying.

   I like the actual food alphabet, many of my students have little understanding for many foods… fruit tends to be apples and bananas and veggies are salad and carrots. 

Pictured eggplant, and zuke help children begin to develop an awareness for food items other than their standard fare.  In cafeteria I am pleased to see Little People recognize, name and even try a vegetable that not long ago was viewed with much distrust.  

   The appropriate behaviors and non appropriate as well as real food items and the not so real all present talking points, and discussion starter for Osage County First Grade as we chat about what Kitty is offered to eat, and her behavior as she contemplates the offerings.

   Bruel has a whole series of Kitty themed works, Osage County First Grade enjoys them all, however, Bad Kitty remains the hands down, absolute, number one favorite.

   Happy to recommend Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty for classroom library, school library, child’s birthday, Christmas, anytime gifting, child’s or home book shelf, as travel reading for trips.

  This is an Osage County First Grade classroom library edition, the work is also presented as soft cover, kindle and other formats available from Amazon and local walk in book stores.

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 Reviewed by Molly Reviews   BOOKS    molly   martin

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 Amazon Book Details

 TITLE Bad Kitty

 AUTHOR Nick Bruel

 GENRE Children’s book

 LISTENING LEVEL 3-9

 Reading level: Ages 4-9

 READ TO 4 AND 5’S

 READ WITH 6 AND 7S

 READ ALONE STRONG PRIMARY READERS

 40 pages

 Publisher: Scholastic Inc  557 Broadway  NYC  NY  10012

 PRINTED IN THE USA

 Language: English

 ISBN-10: 0439893615

 ISBN-13: 9780439893619

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Internet search regarding this Author indicates:  Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of the bestselling Boing!

 Amazon  Biography

  Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of, among other books, Bad Kitty, Poor Puppy, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty, and Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray.

 A former bookseller, Nick used his quirky sense of humor and cartooning skills to get out from behind the bookstore counter and onto the shelves. But Nick was a born writer.

 When he was in first grade, he loved nothing more than to write stories and make drawings to go along with them, which he still does to this day.

 Nick lives with his wife Carina, daughter Isabel, and cat Esmerelda in Tarrytown, New York. During his down time, he collects PEZ dispensers and grows tomatoes in the backyard.