Bad Kitty Gets a Phone

Bad Kitty Chapter Book #15

by Nick Bruel

Bad Kitty will not be good until her owners cave and get her a cell phone.

Kitty has everything any cat could want--a warm bed, plenty of fresh litter, a machine that dispenses food whenever she wants! But Kitty isn't satisfied. She has her eye on something that will make her the happiest, most grateful cat in town.

Something all the other cats have but that her owners refuse to get her!

Something she desperately needs!

Kitty wants...a cell phone. And she can have one if she does all her chores with zero complaints.

But can she handle the responsibility? What do you think?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Chapter Books, Childrens, Juvenile, Fiction, Middle Grade, Humor

144 pages, Hardcover

Published December 28, 2021

About the author

Nick Bruel is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of children's books including Bad Kitty, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, and Boing!, among others. Nick is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, and during his down time, he collects PEZ dispensers and grows tomatoes in the backyard. He lives in Tarrytown, NY with his wife Carina and their lovely cat Esmerelda.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/nickbruel

Reviews

[Reading is my Escape · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Bad Kitty fan. I love her snark and her attitude. Nick Bruel does a fabulous job with these books. They are often timely and have humor for both kids and adults. Lately, the books have been illustrated in full color which makes the stories even more fun and appealing. In this book, Kitty wants a phone and she wants it as badly as any tween does these days (or even younger maybe??). It’s fun to watch as she works to earn the phone then deals with all the complications of having one - violent games, social media, youtube videos, and even personality changes. The end is the best as Kitty finally realizes that life might be better without one…

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the typical humor we’ve come to expect from Bad Kitty books, author Nick Bruel’s kitty learns important lessons about both the benefits and pitfalls of owning a phone. Along the way readers learn some phone history, phone etiquette, and math. I love the sections teaching kitty about the difference between fact and opinion and the way Bruel also teaches parents about their responsibilities when giving children a phone. This is a great resource for high school teacher, too. A fun book w/ illuminating themes about the role of technology in all our lives.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good children’s book, teaches a good lesson 😂

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛📲
It’s not an exaggeration to say that I was super psyched for this book even before it came out. Bad Kitty makes me laugh out loud and force everyone to laugh with me!
Luckily, my 11 year old is also a fan, so we have a good time laughing together at Bad Kitty’s antics.
In this latest, Kitty wants a phone and when she eventually earns one, she falls into all the usual traps with social media and obsessive gaming and “view tube.” It’s funny, clever and #relatable but also very informative about the dangers of the internets. It makes for a great conversation starter with kids about internet safety.

Recommended for everyone, basically, but especially cat loving 7-11 year olds. Try giving Bad Kitty to your Dogman-obsessed kiddos. It’s a smarter, better but still hilarious series imo.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Ok. I feel attacked. Lol. This was my favorite so far. Bad Kitty gets a phone and becomes obsessed with it. Very timely. But I do wonder how much the target audience would get out of this story. Does the demographic really use cell phones this much?

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for middle graders who are “ready” for their first phone. Bought this one today at the scholastic book fair and think it will add to our family discussions about phone and internet use.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

having recently given a phone to a child, I found this book spot on as far as the behaviors associated with having a phone. and the obsession over it. too bad my children are not as compliant as cats.

[Veronica Precourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love it

[Rita Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I love this author. We have all the Bad Kitty books. I really liked the vocabulary used in this book! The lessons about responsibile screen time are appreciated in this time where my kids use so much technology for school. Screen breaks can be a battleground. Thank you Nick Bruel for another awesome book!
P.s. my kids read these books until they fall apart, they love these books to death!

[wildct2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better books in the series. I made the mistake of downloading a “mice for cats” app on some of my devices and one of our 3 cats is obsessed with it to the point of attacking the device with his claws instead of just gently tapping the screen when the mouse appears. Now whenever I get out a device or a book, this cat assumes the mice are about to make an appearance and starts tapping on the item I have. Other cats in the house also tap my items on occasion now.

[Sienna Lyon-Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this Bad Kitty book, Kitty wants a phone after being addicted to playing Feather Tap on her owner's phone. After some convincing and agreements to do chores for months, the owner finally gives in and allows Kitty to get a phone. She is so addicted to her new phone, and refused to do anything but use it. Throughout the book, Kitty runs into many dangers of having a phone, such as; inappropriate games, being catfished on social media, and cyberbullying. Eventually, the owner hires Strange Kitty to come in and strategically take away Kitty's phone. Kitty has a meltdown, resulting in her punishment of having her phone taken away for a month. After the moth goes by, she gets her phone back, and realizes its true purpose, and not just for fun games and social media.
An informational aspect of this book include the fun facts texted by Chatty Kitty. Every couple of pages a text comes in and the reader is able to see a fact about the history of phones or related to the event currently happening in the story. Uncle Murray's Fun Facts are also educational breaks within the book where readers can learn about useful topics. For example, in this particular book in the series, we learn about facts vs. opinions.
This book is aimed toward middle-elementary (2nd-4th) students, in my opinion. This is one of the first Bad Kitty books that I have seen in color; when I was first introduced to them as a child, they were all black and white. Adding color, however, almost feels like it causes the reading level to go down. It is more interesting for younger children to look at now because of its visual elements. The story also has a good life lesson embedded in it. In modern society, younger kids have access to tablets and phones, which is unlike how I experienced growing up. But there are many dangers of what can be found on the internet; Bruel warns of those dangers within the story by showing how Kitty interacts with those behaviors. The series is written in first person, so the reader is being shown the owner's point of view. Th owner deletes Kitty's apps when they are not appropriate, and explains how they are dangerous. Children can learn from these things on how to react to events such as cyberbullying and fake friends on social media. I think one of the aspects that help in this series is the continuous use of characters, so when a character such as Strange Kitty comes into play, trying to take away the phone from Bad Kitty, I can imagine children being excited for the appearance of a loved character.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Kitty Gets a Phone, and I'm here to tell you all about it! This book is about a kitty named Kitty (of course!) who has almost everything a cat could want. But there are four things she doesn't have, and one of those things is a phone. Kitty really, really wants a phone, and guess what? She has a chance to get one!

The catch is that Kitty has to do extra chores around the house for three whole months without complaining. Can you imagine doing chores for three months? That's a super long time! I was wondering if Kitty could actually do it. Would she be able to finish all those chores and get her dream phone? Or would she give up and not get a phone at all?

In this book, I learned that sometimes, it's important to take your time and think about things. Just like Kitty needed time to finish her chores and earn her phone. We all have big goals, and it's okay to work slowly towards them.

My favorite part of the book was when Kitty had to do the "Seven Labors of Kitty." These were like really hard chores that she had to complete. The first labor was picking up her toys, which seemed easy, but imagine picking up ALL your toys every day! Then there was making her bed, washing her bowl, and even cleaning her litter box. Eww, that doesn't sound very fun, right?

The fifth labor was changing the baby, and I was like, "Wait, can cats even do that?" It made me laugh a lot! The sixth labor was preparing the curtains, which sounded really tricky. And the seventh labor – oh my gosh – Kitty had to give a bath to a puppy! That made me giggle so much because cats and water don't usually mix, right?

I think the author, Nick Bruel, did a great job making the story fun and exciting. I liked reading about all the funny things Kitty had to do. And you know what? I won't spoil the ending, but I'll tell you that Kitty learned some important lessons along the way.

So, if you like cats, funny adventures, and learning things while you read, "Bad Kitty Gets a Phone" is a book you should definitely check out. It's a story about working hard, learning patience, and finding out what you really want. And remember, giving a bath to a puppy might not be as easy as it sounds – especially for a cat!

This book is amazing, and I can't wait for you to see my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/Nr_AUbNjE_4

[Tanya Shearin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute kids' book! Readers learn so much through the antics of Kitty and its owner. This book begins with Kitty using its owner's phone to play video games. The owner must retrieve his/her phone from Kitty, who subsequently begs for a new phone. The owner must explain the expense of the phone by comparing it to various items of lesser value. Readers see how math is used to compare the cost of these items in relation to the expense of a new phone. They also learn the difference between fact and opinion and how opinion stems from one's interpretation of facts. Kitty, seeing the expense, asks to work for his/her new phone and is granted that request. After three months of hard labor (the telling of which is quite amusing . . . enter our brave hero), Kitty earns his/her phone. Of course, then Kitty goes through one misuse of the phone after another from which readers learn how NOT to use a phone - violent games, social media platforms, videos (viewing and making), overuse - and has his phone taken away for an entire month. During that month, Kitty learns to do normal cat things and appreciates his/her phone and learns to use it as an actual phone. What a great way to teach children responsible phone usage and open up dialogue between the child and parent! Bravo Nick Bruel!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Kitty really wants a phone and has to work 3 full months of chores to earn it. With hard-earned phone in hand, Bad Kitty is on it constantly, forsaking all previous chores, personal hygiene, and conversation in exchange for violent games, questionable interactions with misleading "cats" (who are actually cat-biting dogs) on the internet, safety concerns because Bad Kitty gives away personal information to strangers, and an overall much more angry and foul mood.

This is a great book to introduce some good lessons about phone, internet, and social media usage. These are all things that parents would discuss with their kids already, so it doesn't hurt to have Bad Kitty corroborate it too. Uncle Murray also gives helpful explanations about fact, interpretation, and opinion, which also good to know as kids navigate the internet

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Kitty wants an expensive phone and his owner makes him work for it. When he gets the phone he doesn't use it safely. The owner points out the mistakes he's made and how easy it can be to put yourself in danger when you have a phone. It's a great way to teach kids how to use their phones safely. It points out how opinions can be viewed, different than facts. It looks at social media and stalking. Bad Kitty isn't doing any of the fun things he used to do because he's hooked on a game on his phone. Bad Kitty gets bullied, gives out personal information that could be used against him, becomes a bit aggressive because of playing a violent game. It raises all the issues and is a great way to open conversations with young ones about appropriate phone use.

[Shanna Hurd · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Kitty starts playing with her owner's phone, she decides that she wants one of her own. But Kitty isn't quite ready for everything a phone has to offer, playing violent games, sharing too much information on social media, and getting sucked into addictive games to the point of not doing anything else. I have certainly seen this with kids in the library, so this could be a good way to introduce the idea of appropriate cell phone use and safety to a younger kid getting their first phone. Parents will almost certainly see some of these struggles with their child as they navigate safe and appropriate use of their first phone. This book still has all of the humor of the usual Bad Kitty stories.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem here is one of age. It only hits kids about 10 who have a phone who are into bad kitty and would read it on their own. A very narrow market. Either they aren't going to have a phone, or they will be too old or too young, or they won't be into bad kitty. There's also the issue that, whereas the lessons in here are pretty good, it comes across as preachy, so the lack of a story is going to be a hard thing to keep the kids attention. It was a good idea, and I bet parents would really like it, but I just found it poorly executed.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read is Bad Kitty Gets a Phone by Nick Bruel. Kitty wanted a phone, but her owner wouldn't let her, so she decided to extra chores without complaining for 3 months, then she got a phone. However, things start to go bad after Kitty got her phone. Because of the bad apps she downloaded and her behaviour, the owner takes away the phone for a month. My favorite part is when Kitty realizes her phone isn't her life. The main character is Kitty, a cat who is very bad, hence the title of the book. We never know who the owner is, but they are the owner of Kitty.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with previous Bad Kitty books, this book was fun and funny, charming, and gave me some good laughs. This book definitely carries through a message to kids about cell phone (and really, any technological devices) use which is both wise AND helpful.
I especially appreciated the mythological reference to Hercules with the various chores Kitty is assigned by her owner.
As an adult, I reach for books in this series when I need something to help relieve stress.

Love 'em. Keep them coming!
Thanks Mr. Nick Bruel!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. This was the best Bad Kitty book yet. This illustrated exactly why smartphones are so bad for everyone, but especially children (and cats.) very clearly outlined how violent games, social media predators, watching endless hours of videos, and game addiction are all very serious and bad things. This book really inspires me to be on my phone less. I'm glad I read this with my almost seven-year-old daughter. It also got back to the roots of being more like the original format of the Bad Kitty books and not as much graphic novel.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty, what a misnomer, she's not a bad kitty - just a kitty. But anyway to the review...

This is a story about what happens when you give a kitty a phone. Yeah, just go with it for a moment. It is actually a bit of a cautionary tale for younglings about the responsibility that comes with a smart phone and the dangers that could follow. Very much a good tale for those young ones who beg for a phone because "everyone else has one!" A stepping off point for important discussion.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in a single sitting with the kids. We were in stitches at multiple points.

Spoilers follow.

Seeing Uncle Murray again was great. His views of knowledge and how one acquires it were an added cherry for me in particular.

The ViewTube chapter was hands down our favorite. The recursive reaction videos were glorious.

my favorite quote: "My cat likes to watch videos of herself watching other cats watch videos of other cats playing with feathers! Hap-Hap-Hap-Hap..."

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty REALLY wants a phone. She's willing to work for it. So she does a whole month of gruelling work and finally gets her phone! But can Kitty handle boundaries on the phone?

Kitty's misadventures with technology teach kids about the joys and hazards of being online in an extremely funny and entertaining way. Internet safety is important, and Bad Kitty makes learning about it painless. Bruel is a genius with both his art and comic timing.

[Danica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book about Kitty having to earn a phone (and complete the hilariously melodramatic 7 labors to do so) and then struggles with various phone vices, such as
- Violent video games
- Social Media fake profiles
- Negative comments on uploaded content
- Addiction
It also discusses the differences between facts and opinions how people can interpret facts to draw different conclusions.
A great jumping off point for communicating with your child about the dangers of the internet.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to my youngest daughter and boy did she enjoy it! I enjoyed it too! She laughed and loved the situations Bad Kitty was involved in and I loved it for the issues they addressed with (children) having a cell phone. The book took me roughly 45-55 minutes to read with my daughter. I will say what really made me happy was how the issues addressed were real, but it was done in a humorous way. Time well spent and if a child understands the dangers after reading it...all the better!

[Jordan Isaacson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less of a bad kitty book and more of a book on being safe online and limiting your screen time. The most entertaining part of this book is that it came out in 2021 and is somehow so out of touch. maybe if it had come out in the early 2010's it would be more accurate, but it didn't. Still, it's not a bad book and has some good lessons along with being decently entertaining. This one just disappointed me as a Bad Kitty book.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty books are a bit polarizing -- that humor either speaks to you or it doesn't -- but this one should get some extra credit with parents for covering genuinely helpful information about the downsides of cell phone use at a younger age. The Wait Until 8th crowd ought to hand this out to 4th grade families!

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. I liked that I could see colors. It was new and interesting. The book overall is pretty good. It just has one other side, I always imagine Bad Kitty as the type not to respond to her friend's text, because she normally doesn't respond back very often. It was a good turn of events though. :)

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic introduction to technology for young kids! It's funny because at more than one point I found myself asking my children, "does this sound like something Mommy says about your tablets/watching TV/etc?"

Also, because it's +100 pages and we're on our third reading of it I'm counting it towards my yearly goal 😂

[Jessica S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really surprised me. It still has the humor of the regular Bad Kitty books, but also teaches lessons about using the internet, safety, ect. Well done for kids just starting to use the internet.