Kittybunkport

by Scott Rothman, Zachariah OHora (illustrator)

Lighthouses, lobster rolls, two silly scaredy-cats, and one uproarious seaside adventure!

Chowder and Crackers live in the quiet, coastal town of Kittybunkport, where they pass their time sitting in the sun, napping, scratching stuff, and of course, eating lobster. Until one day the town’s lighthouse—rumored to be haunted—suddenly goes dark. When no one volunteers to investigate, Chowder and Crackers are sent to fix the problem.  But will these two scaredy-cats be able to save Kittybunkport?

Scott Rothman and New York Times bestselling illustrator Zachariah OHora have created the most uproariously purrfect adventure, and young readers will want to visit Kittybunkport again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Humor, Animals, Dogs, Childrens, Adventure

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

SCOTT ROTHMAN is a writer of picture books, screenplays, theater, and humor pieces. Scott’s debut picture book ATTACK OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON (Random House) and its sequel RETURN OF THE UNDERWEAR DRAGON were both National Indie bestsellers and are being developed into a musical kids TV series by Mercury Filmworks with best-selling illustrator Pete Oswald and Tony-award winning composer Bill Sherman.

His most recent book KITTYBUNKPORT was featured on the TODAY SHOW and was selected by Jenna Bush Hager for her Summer Reading List. Scott’s book WARM AND FUZZY (Tundra, illustrated by Brian Won) received a starred review from Booklist who called it a “fun and helpful read about overcoming anxieties.”

Scott’s other kid’s books include the Virginia Readers’ Choice finalist BLUE BISON NEEDS A HAIRCUT and BUBBLE GUM BISON NEEDS A BATH (Random House, both illustrated by Pete Oswald), PARFAIT, NOT PARFAIT (Roaring Brook Press, illustrated by Avery Monsen), MAKO & TIGER: A SHARK’S TALE (Random House, illustrated by Mika Song) and BASKETBALL TOWN (Candlewick Press, illustrated by Darnell Johnson). He has six more books coming out in 2026.

A screenplay Scott co-wrote with playwright Rajiv Joseph, DRAFT DAY, topped the 2012 Black List before being made into a feature film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Kevin Costner. In addition, Scott co-wrote the script for the comedy ARMY OF ONE starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Larry Charles.

Scott also wrote the book for the one-person musical TODD VS. THE TITANIC (music and lyrics by Murder for Two’s Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair) which was produced by the Adirondack Theatre Festival and the Hangar Theatre.

Scott’s humor writing has appeared in The New Yorker, GQ and McSweeney’s. He received an MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to Kittybunkport! It’s where BFFs Chowder and Crackers call home. This quiet, seaside (full of fish!) kittyland is perfect…well, except for the haunted lighthouse. Yup, I said haunted. Chowder and Crackers are terrified of the lighthouse.

“Hey, Crackers, just want you to know that despite how my face looks, and how all my fur is standing up, and how much I’m shaking, I’m actually not scared at all.”

Yeah. Don’t believe Chowder. Haha… Their back and forth is a joy to read out loud. :)

The lighthouse suddenly goes dark one night. Sooo, someone has to go see why. Chowder and Crackers have to go see why! Can these two best friends solve the haunted lighthouse mystery? Come see! Come see if their paws stop shaking.

Big, bold colors and sweet faces on every page pull readers right into the action here. Plus, it’s silly and full of surprises. Everything from cool boats to lobster ghosts. Yup, you heard right. LOBSTER GHOSTS.

A fun, colorful read that will inspire readers to face their fears.

Recommended read.

[Micah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

we love looking for the lobster ghosts. We really hope Scott has a bark harbor followup in the works.

[Michele Dubois · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, as a Mainer and new bookstore owner in the town of Kennebunk (neighboring Kennebunkport for which this storyline derives), I’m a little biased…BUT THIS IS SO CUTE! Can’t wait to start selling this soon!

My one critique is that the cat named “Chowder” should have been changed or nicknamed “Chowdah” - but I suppose that’s more of a Downeast Maine accent than southern Maine, so all is forgiven.

[Ashley N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kittybunkport is a delightful tale of a coastal Maine city of kitties, featuring lobster fishercats Chowder and Crackers. The two kitties are tasked with visiting the spooky lighthouse, to find out why the light went out. Chowder and Crackers play off each other in a fun way, and what they find in the lighthouse surprises everyone. Lots of cute cat puns, in the story as well as in the lovely and expressive illustrations. A great read for anyone, but especially for cat lovers.

I acquired this book on a recent trip to The Strand Bookstore in NYC, which has a fabulous children's book section.

[Shannonmde]

It’s June and this is likely my favorite picture book of the year. So charming! So many people to recommend this to!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

We made it into a puppet show, and the kids loved it!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the illustrations, LOVE the puns, love the cleverness of these kitties being brave to restore order to Kittybunkport! Obsessed!

[Robbi C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Zachariah O’Hora’s illustrations so I was already won over by those. There is so much to see in each picture and I enjoyed trying to spot all the lobster ghost. I think kids would have fun with that, too. The writing, by Scott Rothman, also cracked me up. It’s one of those great stories where the text and pictures work together really well to show that what we say isn’t always the whole story. And kids will definitely catch that too, making this a fun one to ask questions about while reading. I literally laughed out loud a few times reading this, too. I would not be sad if we get to see chowder and Crackers in a second book, maybe traveling! 😉

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chowder and Crackers, two peace-loving kitties, live in the port town of Kittybunkport where they fish for lobster. They love their little seaside town...all but the lighthouse which scares them tremendously even though it is what guides them safely home at night. One day the light in the lighthouse goes out and Chowder and Crackers are recruited by the harbormaster to investigate.

Zachariah OHora's illustrations provide exquisite detail reflecting Cracker's shivers, the town's cozy camaraderie, and not-so-scary features of the lighthouse. The cover art with Jasper orange background carries the Northeast seaport hues throughout, alternating the backdrop with black, white, and a stormy deep sea green, which provides readers with time-of-day setting as well as setting the mood and tone of the story. The limited coastal pallet carry those same shades throughout the story, including even the irises of Chowder and Cracker's eyes. The sturdy, soft matte paper gives the book a serious literary lift.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

The illustrations put me off a bit but I loved the dynamic of the Chowder and Crackers, especially the back and forth between lines like "just so you know, I wasn't scared" and "Just so you know, I was completely scared" etc. (totally paraphrasing here because I'm too lazy to actually open the book again to copy the text exactly.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how distinct O'Hara's illustrations are and will probably always check out anything he works on. I liked the refrains the two main cats had about being scared/not scared. But felt like the story was just okay in the end.

[Sequella Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially missed that Chowder and Crackers were characters. The narrative is cute and appealing.

The illustrations are very busy and dark at points especially the beginning.

Nice story line … friendship and how to deal with fears together.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this! Your kids will crack up and so will you! It has it all: humor, friendship, ghost lobsters and the timeless battle of courage vs fear. This book will be on constant rotation for storytimes and school visits.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers who are familiar with Maine will get the most out of all the puns packed in this zany action story featuring two bestie feline friends who must face their fears to investigate the mystery of the dark lighthouse. Cuteness ensues. Busy illustrations will appeal to feline fanciers.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Cats looked very creepy but I was okay with that. When the light in the scary lighthouse goes out, our two main cats have to go out to see what the trouble is... could it be the lobster ghost or nothing at all? I thought the story was adorable and the graphics were interesting.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story of two cats, Chowder and Crackers, who live in Kittybunkport. They are both afraid of the local lighthouse and are terrified when they are chosen to go check it out when the light stops working.

Humorous, but definitely intended for audiences in Maine.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digital ARC review: the tale of these two kitties confronting their fears had me chuckling the entire time, and the ending was a great surprise. Highly recommend as a class read aloud.

[Z W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is A-Maine-zing!
Rothman and Ohora are a stellar combo!
We love it.

[Dolores · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art reminded me of a scary Richard Scarry-in the very best way. What a hoot!

[Y.Poston]

a very cute kitty story by a guy who really loves Maine, fun!

[Lysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I'd relate so strongly to an anxious cat.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

✔️Kittens
✔️ Coastal town
✔️ Colorful illustrations
✔️ Lobster ghosts
✔️ Humorous
✔️Overcoming your fears
✔️ Good for elementary age

[Kariana Reads Kids' Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trust me --- my pants are yellow.

(not a pee joke)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book for cat fans, boat fans & fans of creepy haunted lighthouses!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and funny and fun.

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the imaginative world-building in this one. Reminded me of the old Richard Scarry books.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

different

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrations get five stars, story gets four. Adorable book!!!!

[Maddie Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

My great aunt lives in Kittybunkport and I always enjoyed visiting there as a kid. This book is 100% accurate down to the lobster ghosts and whoopie pies.