Cat Has a Plan: Ready-to-Read Ready-to-Go!

by Laura Gehl, Fred Blunt (Illustrator)

Cat has a plan. Dog has a plan. May the best plan win in this Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read from Laura Gehl, author of the popular One Big Pair of Underwear!Perfect for kids at the beginning of their reading journeys, Cat Has a Plan was written for children who have learned the alphabet and are ready to start reading! And what better way to get kids excited than with a hilarious story with words they can read on their own? Each Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read includes a note to parents explaining what their child can expect, a guide at the beginning for readers to become familiar with the words they will encounter in the story, and reading comprehension questions at the end. Each Ready-to-Go! story contains about 100 words and features sight words, rhyming words, and repetition to help children reinforce their new reading skills.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Dogs, Cats, Humor, 1st Grade

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2020

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's nap time. Cat is sad and came up with a plan and dog is mad and cane up with a plan.. back and forth..

[Joan Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best early reader I’ve come across. It is so funny and so well done - Laura Gehl takes just a few simple, easy-to-read words and manages to turn them into a hilariously clever story. I know from experience that some kids find it difficult to get through this early-reading phase, when figuring out words is a challenge - this book makes it legitimately fun. Very highly recommend!

[Michal Babay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great beginning reader for kids learning to decode words phonetically, and a SUPER FUN story with a hilariously unexpected twist.

[Donnetta D Norris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Has a plan is the perfect book for early readers. The repetitive pattern in the text helps make it an easy read. The illustrations help young readers make sense of the story mentally. Cat and Dog are really fun characters in this story. I was prepared for the ending. Definitely a pleasant surprise.

I read it aloud to my 2nd graders, and we orally added details based on the illustrations to tell the parts of the story the author did not use words to tell.

[Jaime · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Julianna this book tonight. She Gave 1 star because cat and dog took turns being sad. She did not like mouse because he wss not nice.

[Ann Staats · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great choice for the newly independent reader. The book starts by laying out the words and word families readers will discover in the book. With these few words, author Laura Gehl creates a rich and engaging story. Initially, Cat and Dog argue over a toy and plot ways to get it back from each other. This back and forth continues until the toy is lost to Mouse. Now, Cat and Dog must work together to get it back. Though the words of this book are simple, the message is deep: working together is more powerful than working against. What a terrific book full of fun, friendly illustrations!

[Thompson McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat Has a Plan is a hilarious romp with three comic characters: Cat, Dog and Mouse. Beginning readers meet the three on page one and learn about words and word families that will appear in the story; for example "ad" which appears in the words: glad, sad and mad. Sight words like a, an, can and has are also on the page before the story. Questions at the end of the story help readers discuss. the story and new words. With a story this fun, young readers will thrive and learn to read while being entertained!

Cat has a plan to scare dog. Dog gets mad and formulates his own plan which makes cat mad. Mouse is glad when both of them are mad. When the two realize they can make a plan together and "play" together everyone is happy. Illustrations of the "evil" (smart) cat and adorable, but unsuspecting, dog will captivate beginning readers. This book is on a number BEST lists for 2020. Don't miss this book!

Highly, highly recommended. The format of sight words, word families, new words, cute story, and questions at the end motivate readers to try the next book. Happy learning and happy readers!

Read all my reviews at Young Adult Books--What We're Reading Now

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat has a plan. Dog has a plan. Are these plans the same? Of course not.

Considerable details follow as cat and dog scheme to outwit each other. Both Cat and Dog don't use verbs much, but they do have certain things. You'll read about them.

Having matters here, especially since the story reads like a slo-mo cartoon with words. Those words that must be read in order to make sense of the lively illustrations. What an incentive to become a good reader!

By the end, could both Cat and Dog be glad? No spoilers from me. See for yourselves, Goodreaders.

FIVE STARS for this surprisingly vivid easy reader book with SO FEW WORDS.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this is a good book for kids just learning to read -- it has a tiny vocabulary, gives you all the words up front so you can practice, and has bright illustrations and a clear sibling vibe going on with the cat and dog struggling over the dinosaur stuffy.

But it didn't stand out that much over the basil readers my kids' school sent home for our rather dull reading practices, which we'd dutifully plow through before moving on to actually interesting books. Good practice for a kid whose parents aren't helping, probably.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story with a twist in the illustrations. When you see the level "Ready-to-Go" it means the barest level of sentences which can still be called reading. These aren't board books. They are made for kids to begin recognizing how sentences work on the way to pre-reading. I can see these being a useful tool, and to that end there are instructions and questions for parents and teachers. I can see it used in a virtual classroom situation. The art was energetic and did well supporting the text.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so I love this book because it has the distinction of being the first one my son (age 4) ever read aloud to me. I don't mean he memorized it after hearing us read it (he's done that for ages). I mean he picked it up & read it to me, all on his own.
It really is great for a beginning reader just starting to learn sight words. The plot is amusing enough and illustrations are spot on.

[Jennifer Noonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not easy to write a real beginning reader — that focuses on sound families — with a storyline that feels engaging and complete. This one does. Will look forward to others by Gehl like this, if they plan a series.

[Jessica F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gehl has a great gift for writing engaging early readers! While I still don't like the serif font, this title focuses on much more appropriate CVC and CCVC word families for young readers than some of the other titles in this series.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solidly in the “better than most” category, but Lily loves it.

[Cathy Mealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, funny easy reader!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving many of the new releases with early readers and their engaging illustrations and stories.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot and use of feelings in this early reader.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog and Cat fight over a toy, until they get their own separate toys.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple text for very early readers. So simple that the art really tells the story. A cat and a dog fight over a stuffed animal using increasingly elaborate plans.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6 year old daughter was almost able to read this book all by herself!

[Liz Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really had to slow down and infer from the pictures on this one... I can only enjoy a decodable text if the story speaks louder than the phonics.. Meh.