Tim Capehart's Blog

I was really excited when I saw the pretty boy orange cat on the cover of this book...but it turns out this is one of those books that just puts kitties in the place of the humans in the story. I guess it might be good for little humans who need a
lesson in sharing. I certainly don't need a lesson in sharing. {Daddy Tim editorial note: yes, she does...especially when it comes to stinky fish}

This is the story of a kitty named Billy Tibbles who loves having his own room, but his mother tells him he has to share it with his little brother (who I think looks like a pint-sized Banjo who I have to share everything with!). Billy doesn't want to share...his father tells him they are a family and they HAVE to share.

Billy tries to find another place to stay, the bathtub (torture chamber!) the shed (I like our shed...I am sure there are mice in there somewhere!) but he doesn't like either. It's bed time and after a story, he and his older sister go upstairs--this is a nice multicultural kitty family because she is Siamese and little brother is grey tabby and Billy is orange.

There are strange sounds coming from the room...they think i is a ghost (which is silly, they know that the boys will be sharing a room). It is the little brother bouncing on the bed. Billy and his sister join in...suddenly Billy is not so mad about sharing. Bouncing together is fun.

But they break the bed. And there's nothing they can do that night...so the whole family shares Mom and Dad's bed--which Dad doesn't like, but Billy reminds him that families share.

I like this well enough, but it is not about kitties. I DO like the pictures a lot--they look like real cats and (except for a tie on dad, they don't wear clothes...which since they are stand ins for humans must mean they are nudists).

Little humans who need a lesson in sharing will get something out of this--but it may just teach them to jump on their beds.

Today's tip for Cat Children of Human People (CaCHuPs): You and I know our toys are just toys...but if you talk to your toys...it will earn you Cute Points. Cute Points gets you extra play and treats and brushing and laps...so whenever you need them one thing you can do is talk to your toys. This can also be used as a weapon if you do it at the foot of your human's bed at 3 am. Happy human manipulating!

Daddy Tim brought me this book because much like my Daddy Trent, I am an Olympic level napper.  He thought I would be horrified by a kitty with no good place to nap—and I was.

This is the story of Boris who is a brown kitty. He is obviously a made up kitty since he doesn’t seem to have to eat…
but he has an interesting tale. He lives outside; I would usually say this means he’s lucky, but there’s nowhere for him to nap!


He finds a nifty comfy box to snooze in and has his favorite dream about fishes—but when he wakes up he is sealed in the box!


When the box is opened, a mean lady says she didn’t order him, and she seals him back up. (Let’s be honest a real kitty would have jumped out because nap or no nap, he would have been hungry!
The next time the box is opened, there is a polar bear expecting fish. So how come in this world a polar bear can use the US mail, but a kitty has to live on the streets. That’s discriminatory.  So the box bounces around to several other people—one in outer space! Until it comes to Grandma Flapjack. Turns out she’s always wanted a cat…and she has a nice plump pillow.

SO silly or not, I like a story with a happy ending—especially when that ending is a nap!

Leigh Hodgkinson’s illustrations are funny, and I think little humans would probably like them. Daddy Tim called them collage and said they looked like Lauren Child’s pictures…I don’t know her work because she’s never written about a cat.

I give this three treats. I had to give the other two to Boris because after months in a box he was starving!
I have no mousie recon…things are unchanged from last report. I have decided that it is fun to chase Bubble around (especially after she has stood there staring at me while I eat, weirdo!) She’s more fun than a mousie…It’s even fun to stroll through when she is playing with the daddies…they call it game-us interruptus—I call it sweet sweet revenge!

This is a very different book than we have ever read before. It is all written in letters. I know why Daddy Tim brought it to me, the main character (that’s what readers call made-up kitties or humans in books!)

The made-up kitty character in the book is a pretty orange kitty named Tabby.  She is so smart that SHE writes.
She lives in an ally and answers letters from animals of all kinds asking for her advice (as long as they send food). Just like my tips for cat children of human people! And I used to live in an arboretum which is like an ally with extra trees. I have never read a book about somecat so much like me! 
I never had a typewriter (which is what Daddy Tim calls the thing Tabby writes letters on. It’s like Daddy’s laptop with a paper screen). Daddy Tim says there used to be a human lady named Abby who offered advice to other humans on all kinds of topics in her newspaper column "Dear Abby", so that is where Carolyn Crimi came up with "Dear Tabby." Ha ha! (Though I am not sure little humans will know that). I didn't know newspapers were anything more than toys or litterbox liners!


The animals write Tabby letters, like a dog named Manfred who is bored (dogs are too dumb to ever be bored!). Tabby tells him to try chasing his tail…see he was too dumb to think of that on his own. And a parrot named Polly who wonders why no one likes her (it’s because she won’t shut up). And a skunk named Stanky who worries that no one will ever love him. She even advises a hamster to stop running in his wheel all the time and enjoy life more by eating celery and smelling the cedar chips. What a smart kitty! Daddy Tim and I thought it was funny that one of the critters she offers advice to is a groundhog, and we just happened to review this the week of groundhog day! He is nervous about being the center of attention; Tabby advises him that winter will end no matter what, so just rock out some fine shades and enjoy having a day named after him.

So mostly I really like the book since it is so true to my life…excerpt for the advice Tabby gives the cat Boots. Boots lives with a little girl human who is terribly annoying. First Boots doesn’t like sardines & that’s all she gets…Tabby tells Books that she never gets things like that because she doesn’t have a human. 
Then the little human girl dresses Boots up in sweaters—and Tabby’s advice is that she herself is often cold in the ally…Boots should be grateful for the sweaters. Uh, no! The advice should have been hock a hairball onto the sweater. CATS SHOULD NOT WEAR CLOTHES!

Then the little human girl puts Boots in a baby carriage. Tabby says enjoy the ride. The advice should have been pee in the carriage when the girl isn’t looking, and she’ll have to throw it out. THEN Boots leaves because he just can’t take it (totally understandable). Tabby then offers herself to the evil human child. Yikes! I can only hope that Tabby doesn’t let the girl put sweaters on her!

Like I said I like this book a lot. Tabby and I have a lot in common. I think little humans will like it too. David Roberts’s illustrations are like cartoons, but they are bright and funny and perfect for the story.

Today’s Tip for Cat Children of Human People (CaCHuPs): Send food

(What? Tabby gets sardines and table scraps for her advice! Why shouldn’t you all send me food for all the wonderful advice I have given you in the past couple years? I like butter and treats and bluebag food and anything fishy in a can!)

I know why Daddy Tim brought me this book. He thinks I am too nervous lately. Well how would you feel living with an ever growing ball of flab and orange fur who is always trying to eat your food and stares at you during your most private moments? 
Nearly a year ago, I recommended “Lost Cat” by this human. I think I like this more. This is the story of a cat (who doesn’t have a name—grr! I will call him Slips for reasons that become apparent).  Slips gets adopted by a nice lady. Slips likes his new home…especially the balcony! He can walk out on it and get access to the roof.
The balcony and the roof are HIS domain…I wish I had a balcony—or somewhere that Bubble couldn’t follow me.
One day he sees a pigeon on the balcony and that makes Slips mad! Or, it awakens the jungle cat in him.  He stalks that pigeon…and he JUMPS! But he misses and he falls…and falls…and falls—I was scared at this point…but he falls through an awning (Daddy Tim gave me that word, don’t know what it is) and a man catches him. Slips is OK, but he’s scared…especially of the balcony. But one day, he sees a crow out on his balcony. The jungle cat is awakened again,  and Slips scares that bird away! Then he feels safe to return to his rooftop.


I like this book very much even if Daddy Tim was being a Nose to bring it home to me. I give Slips’s story five treats! Our highest honor. I like the story and I love the pictures. C Roger Mader really knows his cats. I think little humans who are scared of anything would benefit from reading Slips’s story!
Blue Spongy Ball has been very tasty lately. His smug smile has incited me to whack him across the room, bat him around, and lay on his face. I think he’s hiding something behind that grin. Any Mousie who is THAT happy is hiding something. I’m going to go see if I can squash it out of him.

Daddy brought me “41 Uses for a Cat” which is an odd subject for a book since everyone knows cats are perfect, and perfect beings don’t need to be useful.

Then he explained that it was supposed to be funny. So we read it together. There aren’t many words (I could probably have read it alone). The first use is a scarf…

the picture shows a human lady with a cat around her neck. I thought the next picture would be of the cat biting her nose with the caption “Fashion critic” but it wasn’t. The pictures and “uses” weren’t related in any story.

Many of these “uses” are things I do: “Model” “Floral Arranger” “Bird Fancier.” And one was even one of my special titles! “Sous Chef.” I always help Daddy Tim cook especially when either butter or lettuce is involved…those are my favorite food groups right behind “Dry” and “Canned.”

I am also an “alarm clock” though Banjo is the one who plays with Daddy Trent’s nose (that’s what the cat in the picture is doing). I am also a good “chair warmer” and an excellent “surrogate child.” But “hair brush” I did not understand. My Daddies brush ME…they don’t have any fur long enough to brush.

The pictures are very simple line drawings of cats…though the one next to “significant other” was a little disturbing because the human lady (who was in bed) was holding her cat around it’s throat like she was choking this…I don’t want to be a significant other.

So I guess I like this book well enough as a humor book, but if I ever meet Harriet Ziefert we will have to have words. When Daddy Tim found the cover image on the computer, I saw that she had another book “44 Uses for a Dog.” Dogs are NOT more useful than cats…unless you think “nap interrupter” or “total stink machine” are “useful.”

Today’s tip for Cat Children of Human People (CaCHuPs): Your humans are likely to want to move your stuff around. They don’t realize that you have spent lots of time scenting the things in your house and creating pathways only you (and other cats) can follow. I don’t have a fool proof solution for this. Humans like change—weird! But if you sit on the furniture where it is and look adorable and comfortable, they will be less likely to move it. 

Lately I have lost a little weight...us older pusscats have to watch our health! But when I was a really big boy, Daddy Tim asked the vet what to do since they were already feeding me diet food (I had no idea; it was yummy). She said to give me fewer treats. She said, "He won't notice. A treat is a treat to kitties. Cats can't count." Cats can count. I know that two is more than one...and three is more than two. This book is about counting, but it tricks you into doing something called "math" which I don't really understand...it just seems like counting with funny symbols in it.

This Betsy Lewin, who made this book, really knows how to paint cats (on paper...you should never actually put paint on a cat; it will only make a mess and make us mad--and cats know revenge...don't think that grooming session during your dinner party or that hairball in your shoe was an accident...). 

Back to the book, the human telling the story knows a lot of people with a lot of cats. It starts:

"I have one cat.
A fat cat.
A fun cat.
I have one cat."

His brother has two. His sister has three. His uncle has four, and his cousin has five. Very sensible family. 

Then the book asks you to add (which means count everything) and there have been 15 cats so far. 

The human's Gram has six cats...now, that might be getting to be a bit much. Humans if you have too many cats, you can't pay enough attention to each one. We each need a certain amount of ME-ow time. 

His neighbor has seven. His teacher eight. His preacher has nine (I don't know what a preacher is, but it seems to be a human that makes cats sit on wooden benches in a line for a long time...I wouldn't like that). And a random farmer near by has ten. Yipe!

According to the book that is 55 cats. That is too much "adding" for me to  do, so I will take the book's word. But then the narrating human's fat cat has five kittens! And suddenly there are 60 cats in this book. Wow. Just wow!

I like this book, and I think little humans who have to learn this math thing would like it too. Betsy Lewin is an excellent maker of cat books. She makes each cat look different and most of them are doing things cats do. (Cats do not dance...or wear clothes. Haven't you humans learned that yet?) I give this book three and a half treats. Yellow Bouncy Ball is still king (or queen...how to you know with a ball?) but Feather Stick was distracting Bubble enough this morning for me to have a peaceful breakfast...you have no idea how annoying it is to have your sissie cat stare at you while you eat. And I know if I walk away she'll eat MY food! I sometimes wonder if the mousies are encouraging her to eat so she'll be too fat to chase them. That sounds like a mousie plot. Further investigation is needed (into the plot...I know Bubble's fat).

Yeah, Daddy Tim brought us a stack of books!

I know why he thinks I should recommend this one, and he is, as Daddy Trent says, a "nose." He thinks I am like the cat in the book, following my daddies everywhere.
{Daddy Tim Editorial note: in our family a nose is someone who does or says something to cause mischief or slyly make fun} 

This book is about a cat who follows her human girl around the house and does what the human girl does. The little human tunnels under newspapers and so does the kitty. The little human hides under the desk and so does her kitty. 

"My cat copies me. We help with the laundry, and chase flies. Smelling the flowers or watching bugs, she always copies me."

They do all sorts of things together. Then the little human decides to copy her cat. Very smart. They stare into the night. They climb book shelves (I am not allowed to do this. Maybe when Daddy Tim sees it happening in a book and nothing breaks, he'll let ME!)

{Daddy Tim editorial note: no way, Clumsy-rella}

They stretch and go out side and make new friends. OK, you had me until that last one there. That is not something Kitties really do. But I still like the book especially the pictures. The kitty looks very realistic and seems to be having a good time. Daddy Tim says this is really about a scared little girl learning to be strong by watching her cat, and it's not supposed to be totally realistic...I like the cat pictures.

We think little humans who are smart enough to like kitties will enjoy this book as will humans who like to look at pretty pictures of mostly natural pusscats.

Today's tip for Cat Children of Human People (CaCHuPs): Following your human all the time is a pretty good idea. You tend to get a lot of pets. You get to find laps right when they happen! You can sometimes get through a door they don't want you to. If you are always around, they will play with you more often (you can strategically place your best toys in their path). And most importantly, they drop lettuce. {Daddy Tim editorial note: we think Bubble was a vegetarian in a past life. Her favorite food to steal is lettuce. And, yes, if held correctly by paw or hand, she'll eat the whole leaf.}

Banjo: Daddy Tim brought this book home for us to read last week. We read it but he never sat down to write our review to tell you what we think.

Bubble: Yeah, he was too busy getting ready for Christmas and Mammaw and Pappaw's  visit.

Banjo: Mammaw and Pappaw were here?

Bubble: Yes, you hid in the bedroom the whole time.

Banjo: Well, if I'd known it was them...Bruegel told me Pappaw sometimes gives a cat bologna! I don't know what that is, but she sure seemed to like it.

Bubble: So Daddy Tim asked us to still tell you what we thought of this book...even though Christmas was nearly a week ago--we got twelve cans of Tiki Cat food-YUM!

Banjo: But no Christmas catnip.

Bubble: I smell it. It's here somewhere!

Banjo: The book. I recommended "Here comes the Easter Cat" back in March. I really liked it. The cat was just called "Cat" so I named him Spunks McGoo. We never like it when a cat is just called Cat or Kitten. We all have names!

Bubble: I liked that book too. This one is just as good, don't you think?

Banjo: Yes, Spunks is still only talking in signs to the narrator. He's dressed as Santa Bubble: And the narrator pretends to not know it's Spunks. Banjo: Spunks says he is dressed as Santa because he wants to give himself a present. Which is silly...Santa gives OTHER people and kitties presents.

Bubble: Well, Spunks is sure Santa won't give him a gift because he wasn't nice all year.

Banjo: You should know something about that Attack-a-rella!

Bubble: You like it when I jump on your head.

Banjo: Any way...Spunks doesn't have a lot of time to do good things, but he tries to give kids presents--they don't like them.

Bubble: Yeah, I didn't quite understand since he was giving them FISH!

Banjo: I don't think little humans feel the same way about fish that you do. The narrator gives Spunks a present: his favorite cat food...

Bubble: Which he shares with a little girl cat. We should invite him over, maybe he'll bring the other can with him!

{Daddy Tim Editorial comment: Banjo is rolling his eyes}

Banjo: So Spunks did something nice & Santa visits him right then.

Bubble: He gives Spunks a present! It's not food, but it's still a cute Santa's helper suit. And then he gives Santa a present!

Banjo: This is one of my favorite part: it's a sign that says HO HO HO.

Bubble: Then he gets to ride in the sleigh! How fun...I'm sure it's better than riding in a car. There's only one reason we do that around here. Yuck!

Banjo: We both like this book a lot. We think every kitty should read it to their human for the holidays.

Bubble: Yes, read it fast before the year ends and Christmas season is over!

Banjo: Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for reading our reviews!

Bubble: Send tuna.

Banjo:Bubble! We have eleven cans of Tiki Cat, don't bother the readers.

Bubble: You can never have too much fish!

Banjo: You are a fish. Go find Yellow Bouncy Ball and see if Daddy Trent will play.

Bubble: I think I want to kick off the new year jumping on your head instead--

{Daddy Tim Editorial Note: They're gone...but they and Trent and I really do wish you all a Very Happy 2015!}

Daddy Tim says that books about Pete the Cat are very popular with little humans. Bubble reviewed on way back in September 2013 when she was just starting to read with Daddy Tim. She liked it well enough...but we haven't read any others about him.
So Daddy Tim brought me this book to read for the holiday. And...I like it well enough. I don't know why little humans like Pete so much, there are better picture books with cats in them. I've read a lot better...maybe it's because some of the books are also songs or have songs in them...or they look at the artwork and think "I could draw just like that!"

ANYway, this is the story of when Santa was sick one year at Christmas. Now, we believe in Santa at our house, but he is not a cat--this must be the Santa of Cats--like each species has it's own Santa to deliver them prezzies...although this one seems to deliver to human kids too.
So Santa is sick and he calls Pete the cat to deliver his toys for him. Interesting choice, Santa Cat..but I guess we wouldn't have a book if you didn't call Pete.
Pete says he'll do it "And although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all." And he makes a song about it. He hops in his van and drives from Key West where he lives (my Daddies went there this year! They want to live there...it looks like there are more sunbeams there than here, so I'm all for it).

The Kitty elves help Pete load his mini van.
Then they hook up the reindeer & Pete takes off.
He sings his little song a bunch of times for extra confidence. And he gets the job done...returns to the North Pole and Santa and the kitty elves say thank you.

The end.

Well, little humans, I still don't get the attraction...but it's an ok book. The pictures, though distorted and simple are nice. So I give this book three treats. Happy Holidays every one! I hope your Christmas Catnip is extra sweet!
Bubble is just crazy for bouncy yellow ball. Ours has an easter bunny on it which makes it wobble funny. She doesn't even need a Daddy to play with her. She just whacks it and chases it. Sometimes it goes under the big daddy-hypnotizing light box. We have had the ball forever...in fact it's older than Bubble! I am thinking the mousies are using it to distract Bubble and the Daddies while they work their nefarious plots...so the next time she plays with it, I am going to watch the mousies!

Daddy Tim says he hasn't been able to find us good kitty books to read lately, but he's been laying around a lot lately. I think he's getting lazy. {Daddy Tim editorial note: I had a back muscle spasm and Miss Bubble enjoyed having her Daddy home, so she shouldn't complain} He brought us Christmas books to review! I picked this one because of the very handsome orange kitty on the cover (and because I thought "Merry Christmas, Harry" was too weird to review...maybe Banjo will do that one). This is the rhyming story of Jeoffrey who goes out to look for a Christmas tree with a big hound dog and an old human. Jeoffrey gets lost & then joins Santa to give a Christmas feast to all the animals of the forest.

I like the story well enough, but zoned out when Daddy Tim was reading it to me. Some of the sing-songy rhymes didn't fit...like the first lines:

"The sun was shining on the snow.
We crunch across the bent meadow."

Hmm...daddy says "that doesn't scan." Which is human for "it sounds funny."

I really like the pictures in the book though. After a while, I just ignored Daddy Tim and the words and looked at the pictures. They were made by Elizabeth Sayles. She draws good kitties--and lots of other animals. Jeoffrey has a hat on on the cover, but no where in the book does he wear clothes...that's good! I also liked seeing Santa and all the other animals. It was good to see all the animals being nice to each other...though if we're being honest, I think Jeoffrey probably would have wanted to eat the shrew rather than give him some lizards to eat.

So if you want a slightly weird tale with really good pictures of Santa and a handsome puss, this will satisfy you. I don't think I can recommend it more than that...Banjo would probably give it two treats (for the pictures), but I know treats are for eating!

Today's tip for Cat Children of Human People (CaCHuPs): Don't play with the inside tree! In the winter, your human will celebrate Santa's impending visit by bringing a tree into the house. It will smell really good. You will want to sit under it (robably OK). You will want to nibble it (not a good idea: it's poke-y). You will want to climb it (very bad idea). You will want to drink the water that it is sitting in (another bad idea; it will make you urpy). Then your human will put a bunch of toys in the branches and expect you to ignore the whole thing--sheesh, they are weird! As long as you are careful and you wait until they are out of the house, you can gently play with the toys in the tree...but if one falls off, make yourself scarce! And if one of the boxes under the tree smells like catnip--resist biting it! Santa will give you Christmas Catnip and it will be gooood!

Now since we had no pictures from the book to look at, here is a picture of a beautiful orange cat at Christmas time: