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Ningún beso para mamá
Children will sympathize with bad-kitty Piper Paw when he refuses to wear the clothes his mother sets out, squirms from her when she smothers him in kisses, and won't eat when she desperately tries to please him with his favorite foods.Through every disruptive means available to him -- slingshots, stink bombs, spiders, pea shooters. and firecrackers -- young Piper manages to earn the wrong kind of attention from parents, teachers, anti classmates. It ultimately takes a fight in the schoolyard to bring Piper's problems to a head. When Mrs. Paw reacts with her usual caring but overly protective ways, Piper comes back at her with angry words, and both feel hurt anti misunderstood.
Finally, Piper takes a big step toward truly growing up by giving up some of his childish pranks and learning to let his mother know, in his own way, that he loves her, but that he is uncomfortable with too many kisses Throughout this entertaining tale. Tomi Ungerer's expressive, imaginative illustrations show each character's deeper feelings as both Piper and his mother finally learn to respect each other's preferences.
Finally, Piper takes a big step toward truly growing up by giving up some of his childish pranks and learning to let his mother know, in his own way, that he loves her, but that he is uncomfortable with too many kisses Throughout this entertaining tale. Tomi Ungerer's expressive, imaginative illustrations show each character's deeper feelings as both Piper and his mother finally learn to respect each other's preferences.
40 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1973
2 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Tomi Ungerer
359 books184 followersJean-Thomas "Tomi" Ungerer was a French illustrator best known for his erotic and political illustrations as well as children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
January 28, 2016
This is my favorite children's book of all time. Piper Paw is a seriously frustrated pre-teen kitten. He loves his mom (well, doesn't everyone, deep down?), but is sick to death of her overprotective ways. Can't she see that he plays on the football team and has already started smoking? What's wrong with her? Is she COMPLETELY in denial? Matters come to a head when he gets into a big schoolyard fight with one of his friends the day she's due to come and pick him up for lunch. She freaks out and starts kissing him and calling him her little sugar tiger; he screams that he just can't take any more of this; she loses it and hits him. I love this scene!
Tomi Ungerer was absolutely not your typical children's author. He spent a large part of his career writing adult comic books, and was particularly interested in S&M themes. He was a brilliant illustrator, and the pictures are often quite disturbing... I mean that in the best possible way. Evidently this book is too much for many people to handle, and last time I checked it was out of print - sad, because many of his less adventurous titles are still doing fine. abebooks.com has plenty of copies, however.
All the adults I know who've come across No Kiss think it's fantastic. Children's opinions vary widely. My own kids didn't really like it - in particular, they found the pictures a bit too scary. On the other hand, I recently recommended it to a friend who has a precocious 6 year old (he orders his own à la carte sushi), and it was apparently a huge hit. So buy it for yourself, and maybe your child will like it too!
____________________
When we were both at a conference in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, I happened to mention this book to my colleague Marianne, who has a young daughter. I was curious to know if Ymelia also liked him. "Ungerer?" said Marianne vaguely. "Wait, isn't he from Strasbourg?" I said he was. "Oh, my mother knows him!" she said. "She's met him several times."
Well. Her mother has met God several times, and she'd never really thought it was worth mentioning. I suppose it's possible that I have an unusually high opinion of Herr Ungerer...
Tomi Ungerer was absolutely not your typical children's author. He spent a large part of his career writing adult comic books, and was particularly interested in S&M themes. He was a brilliant illustrator, and the pictures are often quite disturbing... I mean that in the best possible way. Evidently this book is too much for many people to handle, and last time I checked it was out of print - sad, because many of his less adventurous titles are still doing fine. abebooks.com has plenty of copies, however.
All the adults I know who've come across No Kiss think it's fantastic. Children's opinions vary widely. My own kids didn't really like it - in particular, they found the pictures a bit too scary. On the other hand, I recently recommended it to a friend who has a precocious 6 year old (he orders his own à la carte sushi), and it was apparently a huge hit. So buy it for yourself, and maybe your child will like it too!
____________________
When we were both at a conference in Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, I happened to mention this book to my colleague Marianne, who has a young daughter. I was curious to know if Ymelia also liked him. "Ungerer?" said Marianne vaguely. "Wait, isn't he from Strasbourg?" I said he was. "Oh, my mother knows him!" she said. "She's met him several times."
Well. Her mother has met God several times, and she'd never really thought it was worth mentioning. I suppose it's possible that I have an unusually high opinion of Herr Ungerer...
March 22, 2020
I have a real soft spot in my heart for willful kitties - which is to say, of course, cats in general - so this tale of Piper Paw, a boisterous young boy-cat who finds his mother's affectionate caresses more than a little distressing, really tickled my funny bone! Jolted out of a pleasant dream, in which he had just cornered a purple mouse, by Mother Paw's kiss, Piper starts his day in something of a snit, and things only get worse between them, as the day progresses. When Mrs. Velvet Paw finally goes over the line, kissing Piper and calling him by pet names in full view of his school friends, a real argument ensues, and Piper finds himself on the receiving end of a hearty slap! Will things ever be the same, for mother and son...?
With one friend describing No Kiss for Mother as one of his favorite children's books ever, and another decrying its use of corporal punishment - not only does Mother Paw slap Piper, in a fit of temper, but Father Paw threatens to spank him, at the breakfast table - I wasn't sure what I'd make of it. I imagine that many children will identify with Piper's desire to be a grown up, his efforts to distance himself from a parental figure that is a little bit too clingy. I also imagine that some parents will object, not only to the fighting, but to the cigar-smoking. I don't know what it says about me, but I wasn't unduly disturbed myself, as the violence here really struck me as being of the fairy-tale sort: real, but also unreal. I was, moreover, so charmed by the Tomi Ungerer's illustrations - done in pencil? - that I was willing to overlook a lot!
With one friend describing No Kiss for Mother as one of his favorite children's books ever, and another decrying its use of corporal punishment - not only does Mother Paw slap Piper, in a fit of temper, but Father Paw threatens to spank him, at the breakfast table - I wasn't sure what I'd make of it. I imagine that many children will identify with Piper's desire to be a grown up, his efforts to distance himself from a parental figure that is a little bit too clingy. I also imagine that some parents will object, not only to the fighting, but to the cigar-smoking. I don't know what it says about me, but I wasn't unduly disturbed myself, as the violence here really struck me as being of the fairy-tale sort: real, but also unreal. I was, moreover, so charmed by the Tomi Ungerer's illustrations - done in pencil? - that I was willing to overlook a lot!
December 18, 2016
"[H]e usually manages to get himself
kicked out of class before homework inspection.
'It's better to have bad grades in conduct than in work,'
he tells the other pupils."
I think this is more of a memoir than fiction....
Not for little kids, despite the picture-book format. Nifty words like Vicious and Compassionately. Chapters, and lots of text. Fighting and sneaking smokes in the bathroom. But the ending is perfect, and understandable to all.
Ungerer is truly one-of-a-kind. Moon Man is still my favorite story, and The Three Robbers my favorite art, but I will continue to hunt for his lesser picture-books, too.
kicked out of class before homework inspection.
'It's better to have bad grades in conduct than in work,'
he tells the other pupils."
I think this is more of a memoir than fiction....
Not for little kids, despite the picture-book format. Nifty words like Vicious and Compassionately. Chapters, and lots of text. Fighting and sneaking smokes in the bathroom. But the ending is perfect, and understandable to all.
Ungerer is truly one-of-a-kind. Moon Man is still my favorite story, and The Three Robbers my favorite art, but I will continue to hunt for his lesser picture-books, too.
April 15, 2018
Kisses, yuck!
January 9, 2009
I didn’t like the corporal punishment, fighting, cigar included in a young children’s book. It will certainly resonate with those kids who are at that age when a public display of affection by a parent elicits horror and I think some of these kids might enjoy this book. I wasn’t wowed by the pictures or the story though.
December 17, 2012
Having read this at the same time as Otto, I find it very odd that this is so nicely written, when Otto is not. Is it perhaps because it is written in English, whereas Otto is translated from German (presumably by the author).
A charming book - I have no idea why the publisher's hype on the cover calls it 'outrageous and controversial' - both words and pictures.
A charming book - I have no idea why the publisher's hype on the cover calls it 'outrageous and controversial' - both words and pictures.
July 19, 2023
Quite a good take on the theme of growing up which comes with a desire for independence and the establishment of nee boundaries between children and parents. The ending is bittersweet because after having a public crisis and getting slapped by his mother, the little cat goes to buy her flowers and the mother accepts the new boundaries (no more kisses).
April 14, 2022
Lo leí porque me encontré un artículo en el que nombraban libros que no gustaban a los padres pero fascinaban a los niños y toda la razón, es un libro divertidísimo y encantador que alejará a los padres más rancios 😋
September 18, 2022
Ns si és per la traducció, però no m'he cregut gens els diàlegs amb la mare i, en conseqüència, la seva relació. Potser és perquè aquesta nit he dormit poc, però se m'ha fet pesadot. Un gat que és dolent, però tampoc tant, o almenys no es relata. Un tiu que no vol petons, però per que? Ai ns, no he entès res. I al final li regala flors a la mama? WTF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2018
Not my cup of tea
January 21, 2024
Beautifully illustrated and original! Funny sounding names in the original (german) edition.
January 8, 2020
I don't have children, so when I pick up a book for children it's usually because of the illustrations. Feel free to judge this book by its cover. I laughed my ass off before I even opened it. OK, so if you really care about the story, a bratty kitten learns about compromise in regards to his affectionate mother. Whatever. LOOK AT THAT FACE. That, my friends, is comedy.
September 18, 2014
I don't think I'm being overly pc, but this book was kind of... discomfiting? Just generally unpleasant and with a weird kind of ending. Very much tones of domestic abuse- made me uncomfortable, and even the cat illustrations couldn't save it for me.
September 28, 2011
We loved this book so much, we named two of our cats Piper and Mitzi
May 13, 2025
Όχι φιλιά στη μαμά
Αυτό εδώ το παιδικό βιβλιαράκι το έψαχνα καιρό, τότε που οι κόρες μου ήταν μικρές ακόμα. Ξεχάστηκε μέσα στα πολλά. Έτυχε όμως πρόσφατα να βρεθώ στο Στρασβούργο και σε μια μοναχική τσάρκα πέφτω πάνω στο διεθνές κέντρο εικονογράφησης ή αλλιώς μουσείο Tomi Ungerer και το βλέπω μέσα στη μπουτίκ! Αλίμονο, το αγόρασα! Ο εκ Στρασβούργου εικονογράφος είναι φοβερός. Επίσης, ποιος έχων τέκνα δε θα πάθει ένα dejà-vu με αυτή την ιστορία;
Ο γάτος Jo έχει ξεψαρώσει (λολ) και δε γουστάρει τα υγρά, σαλιωμένα, σιχαμερά φιλιά της μαμάς του, ειδικά μπροστά σε κόσμο. Μα έχει μεγαλώσει, έχει αρχίσει ακόμα και το κάπνισμα, κάνει όλο αλητείες μέσα στην τάξη, τι δεν καταλαβαίνεις ρε μάνα; Της μιλάει άσχημα, επαναστατεί σε αυτή την εκδήλωση τρυφερότητας. Τρυφερότητα είπα; Να θυμηθώ που λέω στη μικρή μου για τρυφερότητα (που η ίδια είναι γεμάτη κι ας μη θέλει να το παραδεχτεί) και… κριντζάρει; Ή μήπως να θυμηθώ τη μεγάλη που βάφει τα μαλλιά της κορακί αλλά είναι στην ουσία ένα σπουργίτι (κι ας μη θέλει να το παραδεχτεί);
Όλοι και όλες οι Τζο του κόσμου όμως, καταλήγουν κάποια στιγμή στη συμφιλίωση με τι�� μάνες τους, με ή χωρίς φιλιά. Ας είναι κι έτσι.
Έκανε ένα ωραίο τικ τακ η καρδιά μου με αυτό το βιβλιαράκι. Ίσως και να δεχτούν να τις το διαβάσω μια μέρα όπως κάναμε παλιά. Θα χρησιμοποιήσω τον γάτο ως δόλωμα, χεχε. Είμαι χειριστική, ε; Ούτε που με νοιάζει!
Αυτό εδώ το παιδικό βιβλιαράκι το έψαχνα καιρό, τότε που οι κόρες μου ήταν μικρές ακόμα. Ξεχάστηκε μέσα στα πολλά. Έτυχε όμως πρόσφατα να βρεθώ στο Στρασβούργο και σε μια μοναχική τσάρκα πέφτω πάνω στο διεθνές κέντρο εικονογράφησης ή αλλιώς μουσείο Tomi Ungerer και το βλέπω μέσα στη μπουτίκ! Αλίμονο, το αγόρασα! Ο εκ Στρασβούργου εικονογράφος είναι φοβερός. Επίσης, ποιος έχων τέκνα δε θα πάθει ένα dejà-vu με αυτή την ιστορία;
Ο γάτος Jo έχει ξεψαρώσει (λολ) και δε γουστάρει τα υγρά, σαλιωμένα, σιχαμερά φιλιά της μαμάς του, ειδικά μπροστά σε κόσμο. Μα έχει μεγαλώσει, έχει αρχίσει ακόμα και το κάπνισμα, κάνει όλο αλητείες μέσα στην τάξη, τι δεν καταλαβαίνεις ρε μάνα; Της μιλάει άσχημα, επαναστατεί σε αυτή την εκδήλωση τρυφερότητας. Τρυφερότητα είπα; Να θυμηθώ που λέω στη μικρή μου για τρυφερότητα (που η ίδια είναι γεμάτη κι ας μη θέλει να το παραδεχτεί) και… κριντζάρει; Ή μήπως να θυμηθώ τη μεγάλη που βάφει τα μαλλιά της κορακί αλλά είναι στην ουσία ένα σπουργίτι (κι ας μη θέλει να το παραδεχτεί);
Όλοι και όλες οι Τζο του κόσμου όμως, καταλήγουν κάποια στιγμή στη συμφιλίωση με τι�� μάνες τους, με ή χωρίς φιλιά. Ας είναι κι έτσι.
Έκανε ένα ωραίο τικ τακ η καρδιά μου με αυτό το βιβλιαράκι. Ίσως και να δεχτούν να τις το διαβάσω μια μέρα όπως κάναμε παλιά. Θα χρησιμοποιήσω τον γάτο ως δόλωμα, χεχε. Είμαι χειριστική, ε; Ούτε που με νοιάζει!
November 4, 2021
Why do I love this book? It's obnoxious, rude, droll, violent, tongue-in-cheek, and really funny when you get right down to it. I read it to my kid, and we laughed together every time Piper did something that sounded exactly like something she would do. She could see it herself...but don't all kids act like little snots sometimes??? Of course, Piper takes it WAY over the top, but that added to the darkly humorous aspect of this story. My favorite line is: "The bell is ringing and the school disgorges its flow of screaming pupils." Listen to the author's tone there...a couple times I wondered if the author even liked children at all, but then I realized overall it was more that he saw the world with naked truth from the mind of a child. Sometimes they just don't give a flying fig about anything. Piper doesn't, my own kid doesn't. An adult who remembers those moments from childhood will enjoy this book.
January 7, 2017
Die schwarz/weiß-Zeichnungen sind wunderschön, niedlich und superlustig zugleich.
Die kurze Geschichte um den akut an Pubertät erkrankten Kater Toby spielt in einer westlichen Großstadt in den 1970ern und das merkt man auch: Toby kriegt von seiner Mutter ein paar gewatscht, Toby raucht heimlich auf dem Schulklo und Toby mag auch kein Zähneputzen.
Also wird das Buch auch mit neuer Rechtschreibung sicher keine Grundschullektüre. Umso besser : Da kann man das Buch zu Hause vorlesen.
Die kurze Geschichte um den akut an Pubertät erkrankten Kater Toby spielt in einer westlichen Großstadt in den 1970ern und das merkt man auch: Toby kriegt von seiner Mutter ein paar gewatscht, Toby raucht heimlich auf dem Schulklo und Toby mag auch kein Zähneputzen.
Also wird das Buch auch mit neuer Rechtschreibung sicher keine Grundschullektüre. Umso besser : Da kann man das Buch zu Hause vorlesen.
March 23, 2024
It is a nice little narrative, I also liked the style of the drawings really much. However, definitely not a book for children.
I think nowadays you would call this a graphic novel, not really targeted for children. It’s violent, kind of dark and has not really child friendly language.
It seems more like a small narrative about the author’s youth or relationship to mother and father in the form of a book for children. But it’s not really a book for children in my opinion.
I think nowadays you would call this a graphic novel, not really targeted for children. It’s violent, kind of dark and has not really child friendly language.
It seems more like a small narrative about the author’s youth or relationship to mother and father in the form of a book for children. But it’s not really a book for children in my opinion.
September 21, 2017
This is such a classic from my childhood that my entire family uses references from the book on a regular basis. "Casserole of mole innards" was what my mom would say we were having when she made tuna casserole, for example. I can't say how much I love this book and the illustrations. It's a gem.
September 8, 2024
Un libro infatil que explora de manera muy interesante el consentimiento de los niños sobre su propio cuerpo y cómo la falta de respeto puede llevar a problemas en la relación con los padres. Muy bonitas ilustraciones
February 2, 2025
So cute :-D
BTW, a warning for spanking and unnecessary cruelty. It's not that bad, as this is a children's book, but it didn't feel quite OK. Also, their diet is a bit... hmm... trigger warning worthy.
BTW, a warning for spanking and unnecessary cruelty. It's not that bad, as this is a children's book, but it didn't feel quite OK. Also, their diet is a bit... hmm... trigger warning worthy.
February 1, 2017
Cute, little kids book. Entertaining, and relatable to children of that age where they no longer want to be kissed by their mothers.
May 4, 2017
Highly amusing, but some parents would definitely not approve!
July 13, 2017
I've never read a Tomi Ungerer book before. It was crazy!
November 11, 2018
Funny drawings and story.
November 21, 2018
What a weird story about cats!
March 3, 2019
I forgot how wonderfully weird this book is! Tonally on the mark with Edward Gorey, but with a stronger moral message.
Plus, Piper Paw is kind of a dick.
Plus, Piper Paw is kind of a dick.
July 17, 2019
Yes it's rather violent and a book of its time but it's also hilarious and heartwarming and the illustrations made me laugh out loud. Definitely going to have to check out more Tomi Ungerer.
October 18, 2019
Haha tare amuzanta, aproape ca ma vad pe mine peste câțiva ani (deși sper sa nu fie chiar cazul haha)
October 12, 2020
absolutely LOVE this little book
the doting mom and the annoying Piper are both cuties ❤️❤️
the doting mom and the annoying Piper are both cuties ❤️❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews