Review Detail

Dog Squad 2: Cat Crew

Middle Grade Fiction 815

Mr. Cookie Pants Might Save the Day... After Lunch

December 13, 2022

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Fred has enjoyed being an actor playing Duke on the TV show Dog Squad, and is glad to have a home with trainers Jenny and Abby. After filming in Paris, Jenny comes up with the idea to start a new show called Cat Crew to compete with the program currently trouncing them, Seal Team Seven Starring Kevin. Getting cats to act is a bit of a challenge, since the cats currently at the Second Chance Ranch (Clarence, Barney, and Mr. Cookiepants) are more interested in sleeping, and Jenny doesn't like to force animals to do things they don't like. Fortunately, there is a new kitten, named Squeak, who has escaped from the property next door owned by Kitty Bitterridge. Kitty is training a team of Siamese cats to dance with great precision, but her training methods are suspect and the conditions under which the cats are kept are less than ideal. In addition to Squeak, we meet Yakster and Mehitable, who are trying to break their friend Einstein out of Kitty's facility. Since those three cats are motivated, and consider filming Cat Crew to be practice for breaking Einstein out, they do a great job at filming. Kitty's team manages to win at America's Most Amazingly Talented Animals competition, so her quest for fame and renown is partially satisfied, but Fred and Squeak manage to steal the show, making her angry. Mr. Cookie Pants is a turncoat, running off to join Kitty's team because she has salmon, but the other cats, as well as the Dog Squad, are firm in their resolve to rescue the animals suffering under Kitty's claws. When Kitty starts another show, called Feline Force Five, the future of Cat Crew, as well as the ranch, looks bleak. Will Fred be able to uncover the truth about Kitty and save his comfortable and productive place at Jenny's ranch?

Good Points

Like the first book in this series, Cat Crew is fast paced, with lots of descriptions of the television show's scenes, which are few of drama and danger... although certified by an expert NOT to endanger any pets at all! There is an emotional buy in with the fate of the ranch hanging on the success of the television franchise. The competing television shows are quite funny, and seeing how all of the programs play against each other is rather amusing.

The characters are a fun mix of Scooby Doo style villains like Kitty and her chauffeur, Dimitri and the very real and lovable Fred who has overcome a difficult past and just wants a loving home with Jenny and Abby, even if it means he has to work on the television show. The original Duke isn't very nice, and the Second Chance Ranch cats aren't very invested, but Yakster, Mehitabel and Squeak embody the idea of found family and are stalwart in their attempts to rescue the cats.

While there are lots of dog adventure books, there aren't as many cat ones. This is no doubt because real life cats generally emulate Mr. Cookie Pants and would rather spend their days napping and eating salmon thatn chasing villains up the Eiffel Tower! Watson's Stick Cat is somewhat similar, with some reluctant adventure, and there is always Hunter's lengthy Warrior Cats series for more true-to-life cat adventures. If feline fans can be convinced to read the first book in this series, they will find that cats are able to save the day just as well as Fred and his Dog Crew!