Karen's Kittycat Club: a Graphic Novel (Baby-Sitters Little Sister 4)

Baby-Sitters Little Sister Graphic Novels #4

by Katy Farina (Illustrator), Ann M. Martin

Another graphic novel in this fun series spin-off of The Baby-sitters Club, featuring Kristy's little stepsister!

Karen's best friend Hannie just got an adorable new kitten. Their neighbor Amanda has a cat, too, and Karen has grumpy old Boo-Boo. Now that they all have cats, Karen comes up with a great idea. She wants to start a Kittycat Club!

What will the club do? Karen can't baby-sit like her big sister Kristy... but she can cat-sit! Will anyone want to hire Karen and her friends?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Cats, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

Paperback

First published July 6, 2021

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Headstrong Karen sets all her friendships on fire and is set up to fail in her new cat-sitting venture by family members who want to sidestep a tantrum now in favor of a lesson learned later.

I'm getting tired of dealing with Karen too and have been thinking about dropping this series. I think the nail in the coffin is the horribly drawn creature the artist somehow thinks looks like a Bernese Mountain Dog.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As expected, this was adorable and fun. Katy Farina's artwork is so perfect for capturing Karen's adventures, there are many times while I'm reading that I'm giggling over facial expressions, or in this book, hilariously adorable cats. It's just all so precious and I never want it to end.

I also liked that the BSC made an appearance in this book, and loved that the one panel was reminiscent of the original Kristy's Great Idea cover!

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember wanting to start a club with my friends after reading these books when I was younger! It was so much fun starting them but we never knew what to do after the first few meetings 🤣🤣

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am done with Karen and her tantrums.

[Abigail McClead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun yet boring. That's my opinion...

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to join the kittycat club!

[Some Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot this book existed, but I liked it plenty more than the last one simply from the level of self-awareness I have now that if you invite only cat owners that don't actually have anything in common other than cat ownership to a club and have them bring their cats, someone's going to get into a fight. Also, finally, Nancy shows up. I was worried they'd canceled her for the reboot!

[Marian]

Ah, Karen. I was never your target demo and I'm still not, though I will say I have never related more than when you decided that your club should be about cats and should have cats attend the meetings because KITTIES.

If you're new to the Little Sister series, enjoy. If you're an adult, take a shot each time a character has changed looks from the originals and kiss your liver goodbye. Or join me in wondering Why The Actual Heck Nancy is no longer a redhead. Seriously, since Amanda got changed to a brunette (so many questions, so few answers, and absolutely no desire to look it up and see if a comment was made explaining it) it's not like we needed to change the redhead to a brunette. Seriously, I will not stand for this redhead erasure, dammit!

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may think I'm biased because this book is about cats and I love cats but this was definitely the best of the series so far! Karen wasn't so bratty. She made mistakes and learned from them and acted very much like a second grader would act. Can't wait to buy this for my school library!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think with the Karen books it’s harder for adult me to appreciate the graphic novels. They are already simplified down from the regular babysitter books (not renown for their complexity), and moving to a graphic novel form further compresses motivations. Emotions carry through and the books are good at that, but I already find Karen a bit bratty and selfish so losing more of her internal struggles doesn’t make me like her as she spurns a close friend.

Her interview with the possible client did show her best side though. Well done there.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute & Adorable!

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a fun time readings this book because I like cats 😸😸😸

[Dhriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable and sweet and cute and short. I like this whole babysitter’s club series graphic novels. Cool escapism helpers.

[Amaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book. I like when she comes up with the KittyCat Club. When it doesn’t work out she doesn’t give up she just keeps trying.

[Genres and Journals *Tia* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karen isn’t quite as bratty in this one as she was in the previous one. The most bratty award goes to her friend Amanda. As usual, the art is beautiful and Kristy is there to be incredibly patient and offer wise words of advice. But the storyline was rather forgettable.

[Eliza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so this book was... I dunno. I didn't really enjoy it but I didn't hate it. I just don't know about this book.

[Abby Puckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good and entertaining and I love baby sitters club and the little sister😍😍😳😳😊😊

[🌻 Sunita 🦋✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karen wasn’t too bad in this one. She could have responded to her friend, Nancy wanting to be in the club a little better, but I actually liked her. It was Hannie and Amanda who were being brats.

[Chloe Marie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book because Karen wants to start a club because all her friends have cats. Only people with cats can join. All the adults think they are too young to look after their cats. The club does not work out like she hoped and all the cats attacked each other so Karen decided to shut it down. Instead with her other best friend she made a fun club where everyone could join.

[Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a good ending but had some issues mid book.

[Rancie Mohamed · Rating 2 out of 5]

1st time I read it: I like it

2nd time i read it (aka now): WHY DID I NOT NOTICE THIS!!

_____________________________________________________

✨Review time✨

I’m sorry, but this book is WAY MORE WORSE than the previous one, and there’s 3 reasons why I’m mad about it,

1. Drama
2. The rules
3. Karen herself (kinda)

I honestly hate this book SOOOOO MUCH, that I literally want to throw it away and put it to donation (not really, but yk).

And also, the new character Nancy is such a drama queen, like…WHY IS SHE SO DRAMATIC!!

And the club idea would’ve been better if the rules doesn’t exist, that would’ve been SO MUCH BETTER.

Yes i know I’m acting a little bit TOO mad, but it’s because of this book that i’m mad at, and the real reason why I’m gonna gave this book a 2.25 ⭐️ is because of the 🌸VIBES🌸 that it has, I’m serious, the vibes are G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.

So that’s my review, don’t ask why it looks a bit short to you, just this book was a little too disappointing.

_____________________________________________________

Checklist:

Karen’s witch: ✅, 4.75 ⭐️
Karen’s roller skates: ✅, 5 ⭐️
Karen’s worst day: ✅, 3.5 ⭐️
Karen’s kittycat club: ✅, 2.25 ⭐️
Karen’s school picture:

Thank you so much for reading this review, i know i may have been a little too overreacting in this review, but I’m just saying my opinion to you guys, if you loved this book and you think it’s great, i totally respect that, it just means we’re different.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in book 5 (FINALLY!!).
see yA latAr 👋

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently finished re-reading the original Baby-Sitters Little Sister book and appreciated how close this graphic adaptation stayed to the original text. My favorite part of this graphic novel series is how diverse it is. Also, Nancy Dawes, Karen's little house best friend, is fat! As a fellow fat girl, I was pleased with this representation. I am glad that children get to read this series now and (hopefully) see themselves represented in the diverse cast of characters depicted in the graphic adaptation.

[Annora · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was cute graphic wise so I’ll give it that!

However, the fact her name is Karen is excellent as she predates the term.

Trying to force your friends to get together for your benefit. I can see the AITA posts on Reddit down the road.

Karen: AITA for making my friends get together for my benefit, knowing they hate each other?

Hannie: AITA for wishing this entitled snob would shut up about her 4000 cat and telling her so?

Amanda: AITA for treating my friends poorly because they’re jealous of my cat and my wealth?

[Sakura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I last read this book about two years ago or so, and I decided to re-read it now, as I have been going through the Karen series anyway! Back when I first read this one, I found it quite cute- and I still feel the same way. Karen books are sometimes decently cute, other times VERY childish, but in my opinion, this one holds its own. Maybe it’s just because I like animals, but…

The book begins with Karen and her younger brother, Andrew, both sitting around the house, bored and waiting for their mom to drive them to their daddy’s house. This easily allows for the book to explain everything you need to know about Karen and her life- although better read as a series, these books could be given to a child as a stand-alone, because they always try to explain everything you might need to know. Anyway, when waking up at the ‘big house’, Karen is soon hit with a lovely and exciting surprise as one of her best friends, Hannie, comes running down the street…
Hannie just got a kitten!
The two girls rush over so Karen can met the new pet (the kitten is named ‘Pat’… ‘Pat the cat’…. Get it, lol?) It’s cute, tiny, and full of energy. Karen just loves the new animal, and it also strikes her with an idea. Now Amanda, Hannie, AND Karen all have cats! Karen thinks to herself that maybe, just maybe….
They should start The Kittycat Club!

After enlisting the help of Kristy, her big sister and the president of The Baby-Sitters Club, Karen learns all about how Kristy’s club works. (This part was a little boring for me to read, as I already know about the club… a bit of a slow portion, but it’s okay). It sounds very serious and grown-up, with a real treasurer, president, secretary and more. Karen thinks that making a club like that would be a great idea… so she gets right to work!

First, Karen makes invitations! However, she can’t seem to spell ‘join’…. Or figure out what she is spelling wrong at all. Let me just say, right now, that this is crazy. In ‘Karen’s Prize’, so she an amazing speller, and acts as if she always has been, so why can’t she spell here? I don’t think all that much time has passed between the books, so I didn’t really get this. It was cute, but not realistic, I felt. She needs to get help from her dad, and sends the invites right over to her friends! They both arrive…

But Amanda and Hannie hate each other! Their cats also don’t seem too fond of each other- they keep chasing and batting at one another, and Boo-Boo, Karen’s cat, seems unhappy as well! The two annoyed girls almost decide to leave, until Karen stops them in their tracks with ‘Don’t you guys want to make lots of money?’ The two stop, and sit back two. Karen’s idea is that they will cat-sit for people, when they are gone for a few days and need someone to care for their cat. Both girls think this seems like an amazing idea, and they are very excited!

When Karen tells Kristy about how she’s making this club, Kristy seems a little unsure. She tells her that not every business works out… but as Karen says, THIS one will. So Kristy just goes with it, cheering Karen on. At the next meeting the girls decide on their price (30$, which seems like a good bit to me…?) and Hannie offers her phone as the place where people call (much like Claudia does in ‘Baby-Sitters Club’) They also decide the president by lots, and Amanda wins, leaving Karen as the Vice President, and Hannie as the Secretary. Only Amanda is happy with her role, and Karen thinks that since it was her idea, this isn’t fair. But not long after, they still distribute their flyers anyway. Surely… they’ll get plenty of jobs soon, and become rich!

But at school, Karen is disappointed to hear that Hannie hasn’t received any calls yet. Even worse, Nancy, Karen’s little-house best friend, is very upset that she wasn’t included in the club. Karen TRIES to explain that you can’t be in the club without a cat… but Nancy’s feelings still seem to be hurt. Every day at school, Nancy is upset with Karen, and Hannie is a little annoyed too, as her first greeting is always ‘Any calls yet?’ When Nancy comes over to her house, Karen STILL won’t let her in the club- and this results in Karen calling her ‘Mega Stupid’ because Nancy insulted her club, and Nancy tells her that they are not best friends anymore! This seems to really hurt Karen… but Nancy does add that this will only last until Monday, and then they can be friends again. *Sigh*… these two will never last as friends, I swear, they have so much drama.

The next time at school, though, Karen receives the best news! Hannie got a call.. and… Karen’s the one who is going to have to try and take the job! First, the customer wants to talk to Karen about the job, and luckily for Karen, her mother is willing to drive her over. I liked how her mom added that she knows Mrs.Werner, and that she is okay with Karen going in alone, but can go in with her if she likes. It was good that they don’t just have Karen going to a complete stranger’s house. When Karen tells the old lady that she is the cat-sitter, she seems upset. What could be wrong…?

It turns out, the elderly woman is hard of hearing, and though the girls were in their late teens, as well as Karen being named ‘Katie Bower’…. And she says that she wanted someone a little older for the job. Karen tried to be grown-up, telling her that if she find someone willing to take the job, she’ll be sure to tell her. However, after getting back to the car, little Karen bursts into tears.

A little while later, Karen is feeling a bit more hopeful. Mrs. Werner isn’t the only person around…. There has to be someone else that needs their services! She asks her Step-Mother and father if THEY would hire them to take care of their animals, and they cleverly reply that they don’t think they would need ONLY a cat-sitter… they’d need a dog sitter too. Good job avoiding the fact that you wouldn’t hire her, as well as not lying! Props to them 👏🏻

At the next meeting, the girls all get into a big, big fight. Karen kicks everyone out of the meeting, even Boo-Boo. Karen then throws a bit of a temper tantrum. Kristy comes in a little while later, trying to make her feel better, and asking what happened. Karen explains, and Kristy tells her that she wanted she pretty much already knew this would happen. Karen is upset that she didn’t tell her if she knew all along, but Kristy asks if she would have started it anyway, even if she HAD been told she was too young, and Karen knows she would have. Karen makes a few phone calls, and the girls peacefully break up the club.

Finally, Karen comes up with a great idea, to start a FUN club! She invites many kids over, and they come, just to run around and play. Maybe someday she’ll make a real business when she’s older… but this is perfect for now!

So yeah, although this book did have SOME weak moments, I still quite enjoyed it. I liked the club, and also all the cat drawings, so that was enjoyable. Katy’s artwork brings these books to life in a colorful and fun way. I can happily say this was a good read.

(This book contains a child acting like a brat, fighting, some bullying and childish name-calling, as well as mention of blood (in the way of like IF it was bleeding) I would give this book an age rating of all-ages, but Karen isn’t a good influence.)

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost middle grade Monday, I’m back with another BSC graphic novel but this time it’s Baby-Sitters Little Sister - Karen’s Kittycat Club.

I never read these as a kid, so it was interesting to read about Karen (Kristy’s step-sister). Karen’s friend gets a cat so she decides to start a kittycat club where they bring their cats and offer to cat sit. When another friend without a cat wants to join, Karen won’t let her. Then they finally get a cat sitting job but the cat owner thinks Karen is too young (she’s six) to watch the cat alone. The easily digestible storyline helps kids deal with friendship issues, starting a business/club, and the challenges of a business. Karen also has to pivot when her friendships are frayed by their business’s lack of success.

Karen has less parental guidance than the Pike kids (see my last middle grade Monday review) and she’s younger. I get everyone wanting her to learn for herself what will/will not work but she’s left to run a bit wild - forcing two friends who don’t get along to hang out and bring their cats that also don’t get along… excluding her friend Nancy. It just felt like Karen needed more direction from an elder (not her 12 year old step-sister). Karen also acts like a brat in both series which is a bit grating to read as an adult (my kids didn’t pick up on it).

This was a better fit age wise for my kiddos (Karen is six) and animals are always a hit. We had good discussions about friendship and what Karen should have done. The story seemed slightly shorter than regular Babysitters Club. We will definitely find books 1-3.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi everyone! It's Ariel here, and I’m super excited to tell you about a fun book called "Karen's Kittycat Club" by Ann M. Martin.

In this story, Karen’s best friend Hannie gets a super cute new kitten. Their neighbor Amanda also has a cat, and Karen has a grumpy old cat named Boo-Boo. With all these cats around, Karen has a brilliant idea: she wants to start a Kittycat Club!

The club is going to be all about cats. Even though Karen can’t baby-sit like her big sister Kristy, she thinks she and her friends can cat-sit instead. The big question is, will anyone actually want to hire Karen and her friends to watch their cats?

I loved reading this book because it's so much fun to see how Karen comes up with the idea for the club and tries to make it happen. The characters are really sweet, and the pictures in the graphic novel are colorful and make the story even more exciting.

My favorite part was when Karen and her friends plan all the activities for the Kittycat Club. It made me wish I could join their club too! If you love cats and fun adventures with friends, you will really enjoy this book.

"Karen's Kittycat Club" is a delightful read, especially if you like stories about pets and friendship. I can’t wait to see what other adventures Karen and her friends will have next!

Happy reading!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen’s Kitty Kat Club
This is a graphic novel for children and is part of the Babysitters Club graphic novel series. The Karen series follows Kristy’s, founding member of the Babysitters Club, younger stepsister as she goes on her own adventures in Stoneybrook.

This book is about Karen’s interest in starting a business club, like her older stepsister, Kristy. It’s a quick read but appropriate for children just getting into chapter books, or books in general. The graphics are vivid and tell their own story, making for a very engaging read. As an adult, I was interested in the story, and it felt authentic to the original stories I read as a child.

There are no negatives I have with this graphic novel. The storyline was believable and appropriate for the age group with an underlying lesson to take away from it. The images were fun to follow and brought the characters and story to life.

Importantly, the children reacted or spoke in ways that are appropriate and believable for their age group. I highly recommend and will continue to read the series.

Rating: G (everyone)
Age Range: Children’s

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My spouse has been reading the Babysitters Club graphic novels, so I have been reading the "Little Sister" graphic novels. :D

Spouse talks about how Karen's one friend has a FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR cat.

So Karen invites her cat owner friends, and of course one is the FOUR THOUSAND DOLLAR cat.

(I don't know if this was a real dollar value or if the friend was exaggerating, but FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS for a cat back in the day of the original BSC books was a LOT more than it is now!)

Cute, definitely fits the style! I do like Katy Farina's original book a bit more, though, Song of the Court. Still giving this one five stars, because it's a perfect adaptation! (note: I didn't read the original Little Sister chapter book for this one, but it feels accurate)

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always adored the Babysitters club series and when I found out there will be graphic novels of them, I was so excited!!! I especially like this book and would love to give this a great review because of how great the message is. I love how throughout the book, it showed realistic conflicts on friendships and how the young characters solved their problems through cognitive thinking and discussions. Karen is such a great role model to the younger generations by showing us that we can solve our problems through speaking to adults, through asking for advice, and through talking things out when there is a problem. I especially love the ending as it shows that not all things have to run a particular way and that sometimes being different is ok, because it’s what makes anything unique.

A job well done!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen really wants to form a club like her big step-sister Kristy. Two of her good friends now have cats, so she has the idea to form a club of people who have cats and can cat-sit for people going on vacation. She asks Kristy how she started the baby-sitting club with her friends. Then she tries to follow that exact model with the Kittycat Club. But Amanda and Hannie can barely stand each other. And no one seems to be calling them to cat sit. And Karen's friend Nancy is upset because she doesn't have a cat and can't join. Will the Kittycat Club ever be a success?

This contains some great little lessons in business, friendships, and club startups for kids. Karen is a relatable character. The pet cat's interactions add a little humor. And Kristy is a wise big sister there to help Karen out when she's ready for it.

No content issues.