Happiness is finding a book you know your child will love. And there is nothing like the perverse joy of having your child sneak off to read instead of doing what you ‘want’ them to do. Thankfully, many of the great books my kids have relished such as The Lightening Thief, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Sisters Grimm come with sequels that satisfy as much as the first one does. This was never truer than with Nick Bruel’s latest Bad Kitty book, Happy Birthday Bad Kitty.
Oooh, it is so good. My kids understandably fought over it when it first came. However, it is so delightfully funny that neither one of them has grown even slightly tired of it. Neither have I. Mr. Bruel has managed the seemingly impossible balance of simple sentences and repetition that early readers need with an entertaining and fast paced story that appeals to all ages. Plus, he teaches all of us some interesting things about cats in the process. This is particularly good for my younger daughter who is bored with the books at her level, but not quite able to read the books that really interest her – i.e. the books her older sister is reading. I highly recommend this book for your next birthday party gift for anyone from Kindergarten through 2nd grade.
Now all we have to do is wait for the next release of Ivy & Bean ( (October 14th) for Georgia and the Mysterious Benedict Society (October 9th) for Violet.
-Jessica Wheeler
Thank you for the kind words. I’ve been nervous about whether or not “Happy Birthday” would be greeted with the same open arms last year’s “Bad Kitty Gets A Bath” received. Posts like yours put me much more at ease.
You have no reason to be nervous. This is a great book. We are looking forward to your next one. Also, we would love any recommendations you have for good books for transitional readers.