Kitty and Cat: Bent Out of Shape

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Author(s)

Mirka Hokkanen

Publisher

Candlewick Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

November 14, 2023

ISBN

978-1536223682

Buy This Book

Bathtime has Cat quite literally bent out of shape in this fresh, funny concept book that’s purr-fect for the preschool set.

It’s bathtime for Cat, but Cat is nowhere to be found. That is, until you look closely. Young readers will delight in following housemates Kitty and Puppy (and a few buzzing flies) on an excitable pursuit—with hilarious results! Author-illustrator Mirka Hokkanen brings her original talent for sight gags to this stylish tale of trapezoids and triangles, circles and squares (and several more shapes besides), all hidden in plain sight. Readers of all ages will be given over to giggles as they discover Cat’s many contortions.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Humorous and Educational

December 06, 2023

Overall rating

4.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Kitty & Cat: Bent out of Shape was a visually fun way to explore the basic shapes every Toddler and Preschooler should know. The text is simple leaving time to hunt and find the hidden cat who does not want it to be bath time. The shapes the cat contorts itself into are humorous while educational. Throughout, the kitten and dog are having the best and messiest of times while the owner is searching for the Cat. Those lead up to a silly ending making the illustrations a powerful aid in telling the overall story. This is an enjoyable story told through the power of illustrations and simple text in harmony. The added humor ensures that your young reader will want to revisit this book many times with the bonus of reinforcing the concept of 2D Shapes along the way.

Connie Reid, Site Manager Top 10 Reviewer 577 reviews

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"Square" Cat on the Run

November 04, 2023

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

When Cat is threatened with a bath, he escapes his round bed and hides around the house assuming different shapes. The refrain Where's Cat?" "There's Cat" is consistent as Cat, Kitten, a fly, and Puppy, a small dachshund, travel around the house. Cat tries impersonating a throw pillow, a mirror, a lap top, and even a kite! Eventually, Cat is located and bathed, much to his chagrin. Kitty and Puppy, who have been bedeviling Cat and helping to find him, and next in line, and try to hide while snuggled up with Cat in a heart shape.

Good Points

The beginning of the book has a page of shapes, and there are plenty of different ones to identify on the page. Like the concept in this author's Opposites Attract, Cat and Kitten, shapes are explored in a fun and amusing way. There are few words in this, and few are needed; readers will instead be spending their time finding and naming the difference shapes!

The illustrations are in bright colors like yellow, pink, and blue, and are showcased on plentiful white space' all the better to see the shapes! There's a decided 1960s feel to the house, with Midcentury furniture with clean, low lines. I always love seeing this mix of timeless and evocative art.

I'm more of a dog person myself, so was glad to see the exuberant Puppy in this one, but I'm trying to be more open to cats. I love Cat's grumpy demeanor contrasted with Kitty's frolicking . Linotte's Have You Seen My Sock, Kraegel's This is a Book of Shapes, Borando's Shapes at Play, Fleming's Go, Shapes, Go, and Hoban's Shapes, Shapes, Shapes. I, of course, am a big fan of Henke's Circle Dogs!