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Negative Cat
Two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall spins a winning tale about Max, a feline whose behavior doesn't win any raves, except from the boy who believes in him and finds a way to turn a negative into a positive.
When a boy is FINALLY allowed to get a cat, he has no doubts about which one to bring home from the shelter. But Max the cat isn't quite what the family expected. He shuns the toy mouse, couldn't care less about the hand-knitted sweater, and spends most of his time facing the wall. One by one, the family gives up on Max, but the boy loves his negative cat so much, he'll do anything to keep him. Even the thing he dreads most: practicing his reading. Which, as it turns out, makes everything positive!
When a boy is FINALLY allowed to get a cat, he has no doubts about which one to bring home from the shelter. But Max the cat isn't quite what the family expected. He shuns the toy mouse, couldn't care less about the hand-knitted sweater, and spends most of his time facing the wall. One by one, the family gives up on Max, but the boy loves his negative cat so much, he'll do anything to keep him. Even the thing he dreads most: practicing his reading. Which, as it turns out, makes everything positive!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2021
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886 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
December 9, 2022
I am becoming a huge fan of Sophie Blackall's work. Maybe especially since reading her Farmhouse, which I loved. I like her art, her sensibility, her heart. This one I related to because we too have a negative cat in the house, Hermione, now 13 (in 2022); I have scars on my hands and wrists to prove that negativity. Turned suddenly and inexplicably violent sometimes. With sharp claws!
Negative Cat does not have quite the ring to it that Grumpy Cat does, but it's the same principle. I love that cover, the best image in the book, very funny. Based on a cat in the Blackall house. The boy who wanted a cat after 427 days of asking finally got one, as we always do, from the shelter. Nobody likes the cat, but the boy reads books to it, and then gets his classmates to read to cats. This last bit is based on something a Pennsylvania library did, to increase the fluency of young readers. . . and adorableness, obvs! And later in life, happy ending, Blackall says her cat got mellower.
Three cats here in the house right now, though we have fostered as many as five in addition to those three--my faves were five all black kittens, some of which would curl around my neck to sleep as I read on the couch.
My grumpiest cat ever is Hermione, who we had thought had been abused by someone early on, as we tried to understand why a cat with the softest fur we have ever felt was so crabby and bite-y. But recently I saw Hermione disoriented, walking in circles; I thought this was the end, a stroke or something. But we took her to the vet who said she had high blood pressure, had lost sight in one eye, and so we started her on bp meds. And, happy ending: She has gotten so mellow and purr-ey and loving it is almost unbelievable.
Thanks for the tip on this book, Julie!
Negative Cat does not have quite the ring to it that Grumpy Cat does, but it's the same principle. I love that cover, the best image in the book, very funny. Based on a cat in the Blackall house. The boy who wanted a cat after 427 days of asking finally got one, as we always do, from the shelter. Nobody likes the cat, but the boy reads books to it, and then gets his classmates to read to cats. This last bit is based on something a Pennsylvania library did, to increase the fluency of young readers. . . and adorableness, obvs! And later in life, happy ending, Blackall says her cat got mellower.
Three cats here in the house right now, though we have fostered as many as five in addition to those three--my faves were five all black kittens, some of which would curl around my neck to sleep as I read on the couch.
My grumpiest cat ever is Hermione, who we had thought had been abused by someone early on, as we tried to understand why a cat with the softest fur we have ever felt was so crabby and bite-y. But recently I saw Hermione disoriented, walking in circles; I thought this was the end, a stroke or something. But we took her to the vet who said she had high blood pressure, had lost sight in one eye, and so we started her on bp meds. And, happy ending: She has gotten so mellow and purr-ey and loving it is almost unbelievable.
Thanks for the tip on this book, Julie!
August 27, 2023
One word: HILARIOUS
If you know someone who is a cat lover please have them pick up this book immediately. I’m not a fan of cats or dogs but this story just made me squeal with delight.
This is definitely a good source for understanding why reading buddies (I.e. read to a dog) are great resources for kids who are reluctant readers or may struggle with reading. The artwork in this one was intriguing. It has an old comic book strip vibe to it that I wasn’t expecting but actually enjoyed.
If you know someone who is a cat lover please have them pick up this book immediately. I’m not a fan of cats or dogs but this story just made me squeal with delight.
This is definitely a good source for understanding why reading buddies (I.e. read to a dog) are great resources for kids who are reluctant readers or may struggle with reading. The artwork in this one was intriguing. It has an old comic book strip vibe to it that I wasn’t expecting but actually enjoyed.
October 21, 2022
The cover is very memorable and brought hoots of laughter from my colleagues when it came in on hold for me at the Library. I love the idea of reading buddies at local animal shelters and the ending was wonderful.
December 29, 2021
A young boy pleads with his parents for 427 days to be allowed to get a cat in this heartwarming picture-book from author/illustrator Sophie Blackall, and when he finally does, Max (Maximilian Augustus Xavier) turns out to be an unfriendly feline, prone to making messes and seemingly uninterested in making friends. Then the boy, who had promised to read more, as a condition of getting this new pet, begins to read aloud to his negative cat, and something wonderful happens...
Having read and enjoyed a number of books about therapy reading dogs—see Lisa Papp's Madeline Finn and the Library Dog and Maria Gianferrari's Hello Goodbye Dog —and loving the concept, I was absolutely charmed to discover that there are also therapy reading cat programs! How wonderful it is to me, as both a reader and a cat lover, that it is reading stories that bring the boy and Max together, and convince the boy's parents that this "negative cat" is bringing something positive to their lives. Naturally, I found the artwork here every bit as appealing as the story, and I also appreciated the inclusion of an afterword from Blackall, in which she discusses her family's own "negative cat," and the real world reading to cats program that partially inspired her story. Recommended to cat lovers young and old, as well as to fans of Sophie Blackall, in whose number I count myself.
Having read and enjoyed a number of books about therapy reading dogs—see Lisa Papp's Madeline Finn and the Library Dog and Maria Gianferrari's Hello Goodbye Dog —and loving the concept, I was absolutely charmed to discover that there are also therapy reading cat programs! How wonderful it is to me, as both a reader and a cat lover, that it is reading stories that bring the boy and Max together, and convince the boy's parents that this "negative cat" is bringing something positive to their lives. Naturally, I found the artwork here every bit as appealing as the story, and I also appreciated the inclusion of an afterword from Blackall, in which she discusses her family's own "negative cat," and the real world reading to cats program that partially inspired her story. Recommended to cat lovers young and old, as well as to fans of Sophie Blackall, in whose number I count myself.
October 11, 2021
Awww, my little librarian, pet-loving, mom heart loves this one.
October 30, 2021
As someone with Dyslexia, I read really slow as a kid. I would practice by reading out loud to my cat, Angel. Angel is gone now, over the rainbow bridge, but I am thankful for her silent companionship as I learned to read.
June 26, 2022
„Kot maruda” Sophie Blackall jest pierwszą książką z gatunku literatury dziecięcej, którą mam okazję recenzować!
Zacznijmy od tego, że była to przeurocza książka z zabawnymi ilustracjami i kreatywnym zakończeniem, takim którego nawet "mała ja" by się nie domyśliła.
W wyniku nieustannych próśb dziecka, rodzice postanawiają nabyć kota ze schroniska (oczywiście nim to zrobili, dostali przyrzeczenie od syna, że ten, będzie czytał książki i sprzątał swój pokój).
Kot się pojawił, a dziecko obietnicy nie dopełnia. Zamiast tego, ciągle próbuje bawić się z kotem, tyle że, ten kot, bawić się nie chce.
Tak w sumie to nic mu się nie chce.
Czy kot pozostanie z rodziną? Czy syn dopełni swoich obowiązków? A przede wszystkim, czy kot w końcu coś zrobi?
Zacznijmy od tego, że była to przeurocza książka z zabawnymi ilustracjami i kreatywnym zakończeniem, takim którego nawet "mała ja" by się nie domyśliła.
W wyniku nieustannych próśb dziecka, rodzice postanawiają nabyć kota ze schroniska (oczywiście nim to zrobili, dostali przyrzeczenie od syna, że ten, będzie czytał książki i sprzątał swój pokój).
Kot się pojawił, a dziecko obietnicy nie dopełnia. Zamiast tego, ciągle próbuje bawić się z kotem, tyle że, ten kot, bawić się nie chce.
Tak w sumie to nic mu się nie chce.
Czy kot pozostanie z rodziną? Czy syn dopełni swoich obowiązków? A przede wszystkim, czy kot w końcu coś zrobi?
September 16, 2021
Cute story of a family who adopts a cat. The cat is standoffish and it isn't till the main character begins reading to the cat that it begins interacting with the family members. The shelter, intrigued by the news, has the boy and his classmates all read to the cats, which eases some of their stress.
February 18, 2022
An adorable picture book about a boy trying to get his new cat to warm up to the family while dealing with insecurities about reading out loud. This was just wonderfully wholesome and I loved the art.
December 20, 2021
I think most cats agree... they don't like anything, really!
June 10, 2022
Kot Maruda to kociak nieufny, który po adopcji wciąż nie odnalazł się w nowym domu. Nie lubi bawić się zabawkami i nie ma w zwyczaju mruczeć. Patrzy godzinami w ścianę i nie śmieszą go żarty. Domownicy nie są zadowoleni z takiego „marudnego" kota, ale Max wciąż go kocha. Bojąc się, że zwierzak zostanie mu odebrany, postanawia jak najszybciej wywiązać się z wcześniej obiecanych warunków. Oznacza to, że w pokoju chłopca zapanowuje porządek, a w jego czterech ścianach rozbrzmiewa czytana na głos książka. A kotu się to podoba. Spokojny głos sprawia, że wychodzi z ukrycia i coraz bliżej podchodzi do swojego człowieka...
Sophie Blackall tworzy opowieść o spełnionym marzeniu, trudnej relacji z kotem schroniskowym i magii czytania takiemu zwierzakowi. Bazuje na prawdziwych wydarzeniach, gdy to uczniowie jednej szkoły zostali zachęceni do odwiedzania schroniska właśnie w takim celu (z doświadczenia polecam tę metodę oswajania). Autorka o wszystkim tym mówi w sposób oszczędny, więc nie jestem pewna, na ile młodszy czytelnik wyniesie z tej opowieści coś więcej niż kilkadziesiąt stron opowieści o chwilach codziennych. Uwielbiam literaturę dziecięcą właśnie dlatego, że w subtelny sposób zmusza do myślenia, a tym razem pozostałam względem lektury obojętna. Oczywiście dziecko będzie w czytanie bardziej zaangażowane niż ja, ale wciąż... Wydaje mi się, że można było ugryźć ten temat lepiej. Że autorka mogła wykorzystać okazję, by przekazać trochę więcej o adaptacji zwierzaka do nowego miejsca. Zamiast tego poprzestała na minimum, które spłyca opowieść i sprawia, że tytuł łatwo w mojej pamięci zatonie. W żadnym razie nie jest to jednak książka zła i zdecydowanie można ją lubić.
Sophie Blackall tworzy opowieść o spełnionym marzeniu, trudnej relacji z kotem schroniskowym i magii czytania takiemu zwierzakowi. Bazuje na prawdziwych wydarzeniach, gdy to uczniowie jednej szkoły zostali zachęceni do odwiedzania schroniska właśnie w takim celu (z doświadczenia polecam tę metodę oswajania). Autorka o wszystkim tym mówi w sposób oszczędny, więc nie jestem pewna, na ile młodszy czytelnik wyniesie z tej opowieści coś więcej niż kilkadziesiąt stron opowieści o chwilach codziennych. Uwielbiam literaturę dziecięcą właśnie dlatego, że w subtelny sposób zmusza do myślenia, a tym razem pozostałam względem lektury obojętna. Oczywiście dziecko będzie w czytanie bardziej zaangażowane niż ja, ale wciąż... Wydaje mi się, że można było ugryźć ten temat lepiej. Że autorka mogła wykorzystać okazję, by przekazać trochę więcej o adaptacji zwierzaka do nowego miejsca. Zamiast tego poprzestała na minimum, które spłyca opowieść i sprawia, że tytuł łatwo w mojej pamięci zatonie. W żadnym razie nie jest to jednak książka zła i zdecydowanie można ją lubić.
October 30, 2021
Lovely book which reminds us pets aren't perfect! It takes time and the right kind of attention to make them part of the family.
My cat Desi spent her first year in my house under my bed. She would come out to eat and use box when I was on a different floor, asleep, or out of the house. In order to create some connection, I started reading to her and she slowly started to come out--instead of listening under the bed, she would get up on the bed (as long as I was sitting in a chair beside the bed) and listen. On her one year anniversary, she came to the kitchen to watch me from a distance, and we slowly progressed from there. She loved being read to for the rest of her life.
Scarlett was another cat who wasn't shy, but every time she saw me walking with a mug of tea and a book in my hand, she would race to the couch to get there before me and secure her spot!
My cat Desi spent her first year in my house under my bed. She would come out to eat and use box when I was on a different floor, asleep, or out of the house. In order to create some connection, I started reading to her and she slowly started to come out--instead of listening under the bed, she would get up on the bed (as long as I was sitting in a chair beside the bed) and listen. On her one year anniversary, she came to the kitchen to watch me from a distance, and we slowly progressed from there. She loved being read to for the rest of her life.
Scarlett was another cat who wasn't shy, but every time she saw me walking with a mug of tea and a book in my hand, she would race to the couch to get there before me and secure her spot!
November 7, 2021
I am pretty much required to love this book: Not only is the story and art pretty sweet, but the title feline has both the name of our old orange cat *and* also the name of my new nephew.
February 7, 2022
If you have a cat that bites you when you pet it or stares at the wall, this book may be for you.
February 28, 2022
As a rescue cat caretaker, some of these pages got me got real good. 🥺😭❤
July 17, 2023
3.5
Urocze :)
(I przypomniało mi, jak nasza kotka nienawidziła, żeby jej czytać/recytować rytmicznie wiersze. Gryzła nas wtedy po rękach 😅)
Urocze :)
(I przypomniało mi, jak nasza kotka nienawidziła, żeby jej czytać/recytować rytmicznie wiersze. Gryzła nas wtedy po rękach 😅)
December 29, 2021
When a boy wants a cat, he stops at nothing to achieve his goal. After some clever, never-ending ploys to get his way, the boy adopts Max from the local shelter.
Max isn't the sweetest of cats. That is, until he moves over to Max while he is reading. Ah. Reading is the answer.
The boy decides to go read to the cats at the shelter, and soon, his entire class is there reading to the cats. Oh. And guess who else wants a cat??
What a sweet book!
Max isn't the sweetest of cats. That is, until he moves over to Max while he is reading. Ah. Reading is the answer.
The boy decides to go read to the cats at the shelter, and soon, his entire class is there reading to the cats. Oh. And guess who else wants a cat??
What a sweet book!
July 20, 2021
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
As a cat-lover and admirer of Sophie Blackall’s artwork, this is a “must purchase”. Don't miss the author’s note at the end.
As a cat-lover and admirer of Sophie Blackall’s artwork, this is a “must purchase”. Don't miss the author’s note at the end.
October 20, 2021
How reading can make even the most stalwart sourpuss smile.
May 1, 2023
I read this aloud to our adopted cat, Queen Luna Grey DeLisle, who immediately recognized it as the best book I have ever read to her. As a mature cat with wide-ranging taste in books, one who has listened to me reading aloud a great many books over the past 15 years, and who is named (in part) after a distinguished voice actor, this is the highest accolade imaginable.
This important book addresses both the topics of books and cats, which are of continual interest to us. Further, we are shown the crucial role animal shelters serve in our communities and the cover of the beloved classic, Millions of Cats.
There is also a lovely note from the author on the origins of the work.
Highly recommended for reading to oneself or to others of any species or location.
Library copy
This important book addresses both the topics of books and cats, which are of continual interest to us. Further, we are shown the crucial role animal shelters serve in our communities and the cover of the beloved classic, Millions of Cats.
There is also a lovely note from the author on the origins of the work.
Highly recommended for reading to oneself or to others of any species or location.
Library copy
May 15, 2025
Such a sweet book. I didn’t remember if I had read this one before, but I guess I hadn’t because I had no idea of the story.
A little boy wants to get a cat from the shelter. His parents agree, but only if he improves on his reading and cleans his room and writes to Grandma. The boy agrees and they end up getting Max.
Well, Max is not the most agreeable cat. He is not very friendly and he doesn’t seem to like to do anything. Just when the family is thinking the whole thing wasn’t the best idea, the boy comes up with a brilliant plan to help Max come out of his shell. Read it. You’ll feel a lot less negative about the world, at least for the moment.
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Day 64
#MonarchAwardNominees2026
A little boy wants to get a cat from the shelter. His parents agree, but only if he improves on his reading and cleans his room and writes to Grandma. The boy agrees and they end up getting Max.
Well, Max is not the most agreeable cat. He is not very friendly and he doesn’t seem to like to do anything. Just when the family is thinking the whole thing wasn’t the best idea, the boy comes up with a brilliant plan to help Max come out of his shell. Read it. You’ll feel a lot less negative about the world, at least for the moment.
Mia’s 2nd Year of Books: Day 64
#MonarchAwardNominees2026
November 19, 2023
this story and the story that inspired it are PRECIOUS
September 22, 2024
This has a great message about adopting pets and not giving up on them when they're not exactly as you imagined. (and! they’ll usually end up being better than you could ever dream of 🥹)
August 9, 2023
Reading to cats—what could be better!
January 24, 2024
Negative cat mengingatkanku pada Olin yang suka semaunya sendiri itu.
October 27, 2021
If you ever had a cat before you will love Negative Cat. I had to laugh as I read this book as Negative Cat reminds of the many cats I have had.
What a disappointment! Negative Cat won’t do anything that this little boy wants him to do. After 427 days of pleading to his parents to get a cat, his dream finally comes true! He can get a cat! But the little boy must promise to abide by a list of rules as a means to get the cat.
With all the cats at the rescue shelter, he picks out Pookie. Pookie, the little boy later renames to Max. Max was spoiled from Day 1 but Max wasn’t into all the things that his new owner wanted him to do. He wasn’t going to play with the toy mouse, the feather, sleep in the bed, and no cat tree. Nope!
Max wasn’t like the little boy’s friend’s cats either. Max was also being rather annoying to everyone else in the family too and they were getting mad at the little boy for the Max’s behavior. He was the one who wanted Max in the first place. The little boy was not giving up on Max as he still loved him. I thought the ending was cute and perfect. Sometimes, you try too hard when all you really need to do is just relax and things will work out. 5 stars
What a disappointment! Negative Cat won’t do anything that this little boy wants him to do. After 427 days of pleading to his parents to get a cat, his dream finally comes true! He can get a cat! But the little boy must promise to abide by a list of rules as a means to get the cat.
With all the cats at the rescue shelter, he picks out Pookie. Pookie, the little boy later renames to Max. Max was spoiled from Day 1 but Max wasn’t into all the things that his new owner wanted him to do. He wasn’t going to play with the toy mouse, the feather, sleep in the bed, and no cat tree. Nope!
Max wasn’t like the little boy’s friend’s cats either. Max was also being rather annoying to everyone else in the family too and they were getting mad at the little boy for the Max’s behavior. He was the one who wanted Max in the first place. The little boy was not giving up on Max as he still loved him. I thought the ending was cute and perfect. Sometimes, you try too hard when all you really need to do is just relax and things will work out. 5 stars
September 16, 2021
A little boy yearns for a cat and agrees to all the demands his parents have made so he can finally get one. He even agrees to read 20 minutes a day and that's tough for him because "Ugh! I'm not so great at reading! Words only make sense when I read them out loud slowly, and the kids at school stare and laugh at me." He names his cat Maximillian Augustus Xavier. Even though everyone in the family works hard to make Max feel at home, he exhibits very bad behavior and nothing they do gets him to respond positively. But as cat owners know, cats are attracted to readers reading and this turns out to be the key to breaking through Max's negativity. Yea reading! A lovely tribute to the bond that children reading aloud make with animals.
October 7, 2021
I loved this book. The boy has been pestering his family for a cat for 427 days and finally he gets one after promising to take care of it, to clean up after it, to keep his room clean, to write to his grandma, and finally to read for 20 minutes every day. He has a hard time reading, but he promises.
The cat is nothing like he thinks it will be, but it earns its own place in their home. It contains a lovely ending where the cat is able to use their talent.
It's a good read and I like the fact that the boy has difficulty reading and it's just one facet of his life.
The cat is nothing like he thinks it will be, but it earns its own place in their home. It contains a lovely ending where the cat is able to use their talent.
It's a good read and I like the fact that the boy has difficulty reading and it's just one facet of his life.
July 8, 2022
A child begs his parents for a cat, and they finally relent after he makes promises to care for it and to read for twenty minutes every day. The cat, Max, turns out to tear up things and seems unfriendly, and the family is on the verge of returning him to the animal shelter when the boy decides to follow through on his promises and read, this time to the cat. And the cat responds to the reading by calming down and cuddling up to the boy.
A completely satisfying tale.
A completely satisfying tale.
Read
November 29, 2021Love that the cat helps to inspire the boy to read. Not a fan of the fact that all this occurs under the threat of sending the cat back because it's too much trouble for a cat. This has "bunnies returned to the shelter after Easter" and "puppies returned to the shelter after Christmas" vibes all over it.
If you get past that, the reading to cats bit is really nice and heartwarming.
If you get past that, the reading to cats bit is really nice and heartwarming.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews