Bad Cat!

by Nicola O'Byrne

Fluffykins is in a naughty mood and wreaks havoc around the house. Will he say sorry and be forgiven?

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Animals, Childrens, Pets, Humor, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Nicola O’Byrne was banned from watching Saturday morning television by her parents and she has been drawing ever since. She grew up in Singapore surrounded by the vibrant colors of the tropics and had not even heard of illustration as a career before she discovered the Illustration course at Edinburgh College of Art. She has a masters in printmaking from Camberwell College of Art. Nicola O’Byrne gets most of her ideas for children’s books when she should be working on something else, and bases all of her characters on people she knows. She lives in England.

Reviews

[Miranda]

Teaches a truly awful lesson to children: That if your cat is bad and getting into things, you should punish him by putting him outside, and not let him in even when it starts to rain. Only until he "apologizes" should he be let back in.

If your cat is getting into things you don't want him to, you need to give him more toys and play with him more. Yes, some cats will still get into stuff, but it's your responsibility as the owner to keep the things they might destroy out of their reach. If they pee on the floor, you need to either see what's up with the litter box, or you need to take him to the vet in case there's a medical issue.

Keep your cats indoors. And don't leave them out in the rain to punish them.

(Anyone who says I'm taking this too seriously will be ignored and blocked.)

[Jill]

This book is for every cat owner ever (and for those thinking about being cat owners as well!). I laughed out loud and nodded my head as I read about Fluffykins' day. He is definitely the example of all cats!

[Kaitlyn]

This book had me laughing out loud! Fluffykins' facial expressions are priceless.

[Marta-Kate]

PERFECT for a toddler and preschool storytime. Large pictures and easy to understand text and illustrations will have kiddos cracking up over Cat's sassy behavior.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Think of all of the bad things that a cat might do inside of a house and you have Fluffykins! Fluffykins does everything from pushing over a vase of flowers to unraveling rolls of yarns to peeing on the floor. After getting thrown out of the house and it starting to rain should make a cat a bit repentant and humble, what do think it does to Fluffykins? *Review by Melinda from Edgerton*

[Theresa]

3 to 3.5 star. Wonderful art but not sure if I like the story.

[Sassenach]

Forcément, avec une telle couverture, j’aurais repéré cet album jeunesse à cent mètres !!!! S’il n’a pas la même couleur que les chats que j’avais, il a en tout cas le regard de l’une d’elles. Mais heureusement que la mienne n’était pas aussi mauvaise tête que ce Fluffykins. Voilà un chat qui ne fait que des bêtises et qui n’a pas l’air de regretter quoi que ce soit, même si sa maitresse le gronde. Alors jusqu’où va-t-elle tolérer le brigand et que va-t-elle donc faire pour le punir ? Et finira-t-il par s’excuser ? La fin est totalement logique et amusante et les dessins simples sont efficaces : minimum de décor et un félin aux mines savoureuses. Ce n’est pas un coup de cœur mais c’est quand même une lecture sympathique !

[Shane]

Pretty much sums up the attitude of every cat I have ever met!

[Esmay]

This is my favourite book at the moment

[Shelley]

This was such a cute story about a bad cat who gets into all kinds of mischief.

[Sadia Mansoor]

Though its grumpy, moody, bad cat but I like its name.... FLUFFYKINS! ^_^

[Andrew]

Fluffykins is a big, orange, and (as the name implies) incredibly fluffy. You'd think such a sweet looking creature would be an angel, right? Well... Fluffykins likes to look you in the eyes as he commits acts of chaos, like knocking over flower vases and scratching up the furniture. If he's feeling particularly daring, he may even make a mess on the floor. Will Fluffykins apologize for his actions? And if he does, how can you be can we really be sure that will swear off his naughty hi-jinks? Bad Cat! is adorably hilarious, and any lover of cats will see bits of their own fuzzy felines in Fluffykins, even if they're far more behaved than this troublemaker.

[Sandy]

How cute!! I loved reading about Fluffykins! What trouble this cat got into. I read a review where the person didn't like the book and said it was giving bad advice to kids. Well, if you think that just talk to the kids and say "what should we do instead?" Simple. Anyway, I thought Fluffykins was adorable and I've seen cats act this way. I had a grandkitty in my home for a little while and he destroyed a roll of toilet paper and then proceeded to lie down and sleep in the aftermath. I thought he was adorable too. I think kids will love reading this book and talking about how silly this cat is.

[KarenB]

Absolutely hysterical with fantastic illustrations.

[Nikki]

This book is fantastic! Our whole family has enjoyed reading it. The text is playful and well-written, combined with equally fun illustrations that really capture the personality of Fluffykins the lovable, snarky house cat. Too cute! We still laugh out loud after multiple reads!

[Lynn]

Giggle filled fun about the ultimate bad cat!

[Toni]

Hysterical! Cat people out here in these streets will legit understand.

[Melissa]

I think if my name was fluffykins, I would be bad too.

[Jenn]

Simple story/concept but hilarious. A lot is communicated with few words and great illustrations. I love when the reader/narrator breaks the 4th wall (like Mo Willems does) and communicates with the characters... and the cat's name "Fluffykins" is so cute, but he's not. Fluffykins is a bad cat. He gets into trouble at every turn. Knocking things over, breaking things or tearing them up. Even making a "mess" on the floor. He gets kicked out but then gives the "Puss in Boots" eyes. There is the repetition of the laundry list of naughtyness Fluffykins has to apologize for. The last page leaves readers with a clear idea of whether or not Fluffykins has learned his lesson.

The illustrations are just as wonderful as the story. Great expression and action. Great for read alouds but also for beginning readers. Listeners can predict what Fluffykins is going to do and see if they are correct.

I definitely think this would be a hit with 1st graders and a fun celebrity read-aloud.

[Zac]

Bad Cat is the most hilarious picture book of 2020! This book is an absolute winner for kids and adults alike. The cover made me crack up and I could not stop laughing the whole way through. My daughter was rolling around on the bed laughing her head off too. We then read it 3 more times while laughing. This is one of those picture books that any age can appreciate. I know that preschoolers will love it but I also know that the Year 8 kids at school will love it too. I’d love to read it in a whole school assembly but I don’t think they would hear me through the laughter.

Fluffykins is a bad cat. A REALLY bad cat! He may look cute and use his cuteness to make you forgive him, but then he’s back to his old tricks. Oh, what a lovely vase of flowers! No, now it’s smashed on the floor. That nice jumper you’ve been knitting is now just a bunch of wool on the floor with Fluffykins in the middle. The reader becomes the owner of Fluffykins and tries to get him to change his ways.

I have loved all of Nicola O’Byrne’s picture books but this one is her best yet. In Bad Cat she uses sparse text and hilarious illustrations to entertain readers. Nicola gives Fluffykins so much personality in her illustrations. Most of the time he is cranky and mean but Nicola also shows us his cute, fluffy side too. I can’t even choose a favourite illustrations because they’re all so fantastic!

You need to buy or borrow Bad Cat. I guarantee you won’t regret it. It will be a picture book that you will glad to read again and again.

[Rochelle Murray]

This is such a cute book. The illustrations are amazing, and anyone who has ever had a cat (especially an EXTA naughty one!) will relate. I read this to my kids (ages 4 and 6) and when it was over and I asked them what they thought they demanded to read it again. Is there any higher recommendation for a book? The lovely illustrations and simple text make this a great length for a bedtime story (yes, even if you have to read it twice!)

Guest review by Jaime (age 6):
"I wanna read it again! I like how he destroys anything. He acts like a poophead. He peed! On the floor!"

Guest review by Link (age 4):
"It's Bad Cat! Meow! I love the 'meow' part. I love Fluffykins because he's so cute. But I know the worstest thing - HE EAT THE FISH."

A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review. All opinions are unbiased and my own.

Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter

[Janique Gray]

At the beginning of the book, we see a beautiful orange cat sitting on a table with a flower vase on it. We get a closeup of the cat's face and they look very evil and mischievous. We then see the cat lift up a single paw and put it very close to the vase like the cat is going to knock it over. The pet parent says that the cat needs to apologize but the cat walks away. Then we see the bad kitty mess with the owner's knitting items. The cat ends up scratching the couch, sitting on the computer, messing up the toilet paper, and up in the blinds. We also see the cat peeing on the floor. The cat is let outside and comes back in after the rain. But the owner isn't satisfied after the cat tries to act all cute. She said the cat needs to apologize. So the cat meows as its form of apology.
I really enjoyed this book because I talk to my tortoise-like this and try to make him apologize for things. I think they embodied the bad cat aspect very well and I love how they added the cat trying to act cute as a distraction. I feel as though all pets do the guilt trip thing, including my tortoise.

[Reader]

This book is about a cat named Fluffykins. Fluffykins does not listen to their owner and often purposely messes up everything in the house. Fluffykins does not feel bad for wrecking the house, such as breaking a vase, peeing on the floor, rolling out multiple balls of thread, scratching the furniture, breaking the blinds, and pulling out the toilet paper. Because of this, the owner puts Fluffykins outside to learn a lesson, but the cat still does not turn away from its bad behavior. The illustrations show the different messes Fluffykins makes throughout the book. Everything is not written out, so the reader needs the illustrations to fully follow the story. The illustrations also show the cat’s mischievous side that does not go away even after being put outside as punishment. Although the cat is bad, the owner still shows unconditional love despite Fluffykins’ bad behavior. I liked this book. It was a cute, short read that would be good to use in the classroom, especially for younger grade levels like kindergarten or first grade.

[Karen]

This fat cat likes to cause trouble! Whether the feisty feline is knocking down vases or having accidents on the floor this contentious kitty knows what a cat is NOT supposed to do and seems to get extra glee from not just being naughty, but from knowing that he's disobeying as well. When he is shut outside for his antics it appears that he may be at least a little repentant . . . but then he sees the fish in the bowl. It looks like his harried owner is in for more disaster.

The illustrations are wonderful with bright colors and avid expressions that imply what the master of mishchief is thinking. Watching the tabby misbehave makes a wonderful way to begin a discussion on the complexities of pet ownership or controllling ones own behavior, or that sometimes it takes several tries before people and pets act with decorum. There is a lot to appreciate in this little treasure and it is highly recommended for the mischief and mayhem that open opportunities for open discussion.

[Maren Jacquet]

I love this book. It is so funny and also very relatable because I have a cat and sometimes they just don't listen. The pages were plank but the cat and the objects the cat were messing with were so full of color and large that no page felt boring. A big page turner was when the cat got put outside and at the corner of the page you could see a big raincloud coming in and then the next page the cat was stuck in the rain begging to come back in. It was very easy to read and there were a small amount of words on the page and they were all in big font. Sometimes the owner was yelling at the cat. The font would be bigger indicating she was shouting which was a good choice. My eyes were always drawn to the big orange fluffy cat in the center. This is such a fun read and a book I will have in my classroom in the future for my kids to enjoy.

[Angel Ross]

This story follows an owner and their cat. The illustrations and storytelling will keep children entertained while helping them understand how it is to take care of pets and even take it a step further and apply it to themselves. The owner is constantly telling the cat not to do this, and the cat does it anyways and the cat is punished for it. Later, in the story the cat apologizes, and the owner forgives her and they clean up the mess the cat made. Teachers can help students (three to five) understand that they shouldn’t do things they are told not to and if they do that they should apologize and make up for what they did. This was a well-grounded story that’ll keep kids entertained. O’Byrne’s illustrations were drawn incredibly engaging.

[Becky B]

Fluffykins has a talent for trouble. But not for saying sorry, and it will get him put out of the house in punishment if he isn't careful. But will this cat really change his habits?

Well, Fluffykins is 100% cat, that's for sure. I know a cat or two who leaves a trail of mayhem like Fluffykins. Cat owners are the ones who will find this the funniest (they'll probably be laughing and crying at the same time). This struck me as odd that the owner expected an apology. The cat isn't talking or anything, so it is more realistic than fantasy. Maybe the owner didn't know what they were getting into getting a cat.

[Molly Wilson]

Bad Cat was about a cat named Fluffykins who gets into a lot of trouble. Some of the things he does are knock down a vase, mess up the yarn, and pees on the floor. And the owner is waiting for him to apologize for all Fluffykins did wrong.
I really liked this book. The images were playful, and the cat does look like a grumpy cat. The cool thing is that the author also drew the pictures.
I would definitely read this book to my class. It is a silly but beneficial book. They can learn about manners and how sometimes apologizing is easier than they think.

[Lisa]

Fluffykins is a cat with attitude. He broke a vase, tangled the yarn, sat on the computer, and is kicked out of the house until he apologizes.

I loved the illustrations - that cat . . . I think all cat owners can relate in some part, cats do what they want. A great big kitty, with pursed lips. I don't love narrative where an unseen voice talks to the main character, but the hilarious illustrations make up for it.

Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspotjr.com

[Kat]

I have to say this book is wonderful! I would love to use it in my storytime as soon as it comes out! Thank you sooo much for allowing me to read and review Bad Cat! by Nicola O'Byrne. I love the illustrations in the book. It gives this book the extra something that makes it a gem to read.

#BadCat!
#EasyPicture