Fat cats, thin cats, dancing cats, prancing cats. . . . cats are wonderful in any shape, size, or color. And what's not to love? Cats are inquisitive, funny, and smart. In this buoyant book, Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer celebrate cats!
Note: There seem to be two versions of this book, each with different artwork. The one I read, AND, the reason I gave the book five stars is because of the zing-pow, wacky illustrations by one of my favorite artists - Bob Staake.
I honestly can't imagine this book with any other pictures.
I love cats! I love Anne Mortimer's cats! So, why didn't I love this...!? I guess because the story is really, well, random: "Cats, Cats, Cats! I love cats! Coffee cats and tofee cats. Fat cats and skinny cats." Stuff like that. Bo-ring. And the artwork, while still great, is just of cats--no real background or anything especially "interesting" beyond the cute cats. I liked "Santa's Snow Cat" and "A Kitten's Year" and "Sneakers the Seaside Cat" much better.
I love cats too, and am a sucker for a picture book about them. Here the author uses opposites to good effect. Also good art, fun and whimsical, but not precious.
Every now and then a book comes across my counter at the library that I just have to read. It's usually a children's picture book, so they're quick reads. I love cats. So when this one showed up in front of me I had no choice. What a delight. Sure it's no Dr. Seuss but then not much is. It's fun and the art is beautiful and joyously cheerful. Loved it.
Edit: I just saw that there are two edition with different illustrations. The one I read had illustrations by Bob Staake
Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer - an English author/illustrator team that has collaborated on a number of picture-books, from Santa's Snow Cat to The Chocolate Cat - once again offers a celebration of our charming feline friends, in I Love Cats. With a simple text that enumerates all the different kinds of cats to love - those that wink, and those that think; bumbling cats, and tumbling cats - and beautiful artwork that perfectly captures the feline form in all its glory, this is a book that all true cat-lovers will enjoy perusing.
That said, there isn't really much story here, and I'm not sure, save for the excellent illustrations, that there is much to keep the reader interested. The text has a bouncy quality that makes it fun to read, but I can't say that I found it particularly compelling, or memorable. Still, the artwork is very appealing - I love the painting of the little kitten resting on an exasperated-looking dog's head! - and that makes it a pleasant experience, all the same.
Sparse text and vibrant illustrations make this book a winner for cat lovers everywhere. Bob Staake's signature illustration style draws the reader in - there is so much to see on every page. Young readers will enjoy following the narrator has she shares all the kinds of cats she loves. It is sure to be a bedtime favorite!
The illustrations and text work wonderfully together as all sorts of cat opposites are featured (big cats, little cats, thin cats, fat cats). It is not necessary to read the entire book during a story time--just enough to celebrate cats and move on to another cat activity.
My six-year-old found this quite boring. There's no story. Probably better for younger kids for whom colorful illustrations and simple near-rhymes will satisfy.
Stainton, Sue and Bob Staake I Love Cats! PICTURE BOOK. Katherine Tegen (Harper), 2017. $18. 9780062438829
How much do you love cats? Probably as much as this little girl. Sweet little rhymes that flow, exuberant illustrations combine for a cheerful and lively celebration of cats. Don’t try to sell this one to dog lovers.
Have you read I Love Dogs! ? Then you have almost read this book. That said, it's fun, and will work well with the early childhood crowd. Also, did I mention, it has CATS? YES.
This book could easily be made into a storytime song with some creativity and bravery/shamelessness. Adorable cats and an adorable protagonist (who happens to be dark-skinned -- diversity, yay!) make for a pretty darn adorable read.
I LOVE CATS features cats of all types. There's big ones, small ones, bearded ones, dancing ones, and on and on. I liked the rhyming scheme and it made the story more fun. I enjoyed the variety of cats and the different colors.
This was a very energetic read that was short and sweet. The rhymes flowed perfectly and the main character was very excited about all of the different types of cats. I liked the fictional take too with plaid colored cats.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to those children who love cats. This will be a fun read that they won't want to miss. It's also good for any child that loves rhymes as well.
In what is essentially an illustrated list poem in picture book form, the unseen narrator loves all cats, from big and little, hairy and scaredy cats to bumbling and tumbling, bubbly and snuggly cats. Children will love the illlustrations--the smallest whiskers are visible in the highly-detailed paintings that bring these adorable, playful cats to life. Share this aloud with an elementary classroom, then have students create their own simple list poems.
I feel like children would enjoy this book a lot, especially if they love cats. I love cats so I enjoyed this book. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I like how it showed a drawing of each cat the book talked about. The drawings are fun to look at.
Read this book for Story Time and the kids had a lot of fun pointing out all the different cats they saw in the book and telling me stories of their own cat encounters.
I Love Cats is a sweet picture book with lovely illustrations. Each page includes two cats with an adjective for each. Some of the descriptions are a little strange--bubbly, for instance, with drawings of bubbles around the cat--but the overall presentation is pleasant and true to cat nature.
This is a short, simple book about cats. Opposite cats (big/little, thin/fat. etc.) are featured. It is simple enough and short enough to work for a toddler storytime about cats.
Adorable little picture book. Definitely better for small children, as there is nothing really going on in this. Just lots of cats of all different shapes, colors, and sizes. Still cute though.