That Cat Can’t Stay

Product Description

Narrated by a cat-loving little girl, this story is a hysterical romp through a family’s pet adoption dilemma. Poor Dad does not like cats, and he voices his opposition to the steady stream of stray cats that always seem to wind up on his doorstep—thanks to a cat-loving Mom who wants to save every stray she finds. In an effort to win Dad over, the little girl hides a tiny stray kitten in her hood and convinces Dad to just give it one small squeeze. Dad manages, with trepidation, to stick out his pinkie and pet the creature. But now that five cats have taken over his favorite chair, he becomes desperate and makes a visit to the pound. Dad returns happily with a big, fat puppy—everyone gets something that they want. With hilarious ink and watercolor illustrations, this picture book demonstrates the resourcefulness, love, and compromises of a pet-loving family.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3—This book expertly combines a comic, rhyming text with hilarious cartoon illustrations to create a completely enjoyable romp. Poor Dad is no match for clever Mom, a cat lover who manages to finagle not one, not two, not three, but FOUR cats into the household. One by one she brings them home and uses guile to convince her husband to keep them, just for a while. Each time he objects with a long-winded diatribe about why the cat can’t stay, and still she finds a way to tug at his conscience. (“‘You’re right again,’ Mom said to Dad, ‘and I won’t cry or get too sad, just thinking of this little cat and how a car might squish her flat.'”) Of course, the kids get into the act, putting on their cute little pouty faces that silently beg “pleeeease.” The text reads smoothly throughout and is peppered with wonderfully expressive words such as “Vamoose!” and “scourge.” Still, the book wouldn’t be as good without the large cartoon watercolor and ink illustrations that simply beg to be pored over for every comical detail. Of particular note are Dad’s priceless facial expressions that transform from stern to defeated in a few short steps. With a repetitive refrain that makes for a great read-aloud, this book is the cat’s meow for children young and old.—
Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“This light comedy . . . spotlight[s] family dynamics. Energetic rhymed couplets relay how Mom and kids repeatedly bring home stray cats, driving Dad crazy . . . spirited cartoons depict animals and humans with amusingly exaggerated facial expressions . . . The buffoonlike father’s antics should prove kid-pleasing.”  —Publishers Weekly

“This book expertly combines a comic, rhyming text with hilarious cartoon illustrations to create a completely enjoyable romp.” 
—School Library Journal

”
That Cat Can’t Stay [is] an absolutely adorable book and exactly how the Viorsts once wound up with four cats.”  —Judith Viorst

“Parkins visualizes this comic opera with cartoon-like pen and ink and watercolor illustrations of cartoon-like characters displaying exaggerated behavior. Dad in particular is portrayed in lively vignettes.”  —
Children’s Literature

“He may rant and rave, but ultimately this softhearted dad lets the strays stay. David Parkins’ hilariously detailed pictures add to the fun and the surprise ending.”  —Baltimore’s Child

“This is a funny book with a riotous rhyming text and illustrations . . . that seem to leap right off the glossy white pages in visual hyperbole. It makes a great read-aloud. In fact, once you’ve read it, you’ll long for the chance to share it orally. Even if you don’t like cats this book will tickle you.” —
Puget Sound Council

“This is a rhyming picture book about our love affair with animals—a book for reading together, but it easily opens discussions about what we like/dislike, getting along, flexibility, and being open to change.”  —The