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The Secret Life of Walter Kitty
by
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Dan Santat (Goodreads Author)
Walter Kitty is no ordinary housecat. He's Fang—a swashbuckling protector of the high seas, a tiger waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey, and a caped superhero ready to save the day. But do his "people," Mr. and Mrs. Biddle, acknowledge his greatness? Not even!So once in a good long while, Walter will answer to Wally or Kitten or even Snookums, but most of the time . . ....more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
April 10th 2007
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Oh my goodness, the facial expressions on Walter's (a.k.a. "Fang's") face are hilarious! They really do speak volumes: life is rough when your Person and her husband misunderstand you...and get your name wrong. :D
Would be great to read with your kids (or adults!), but to fully appreciate the book, you have to be able to see the pictures, so I don't recommend it for a large storytime.
Would be great to read with your kids (or adults!), but to fully appreciate the book, you have to be able to see the pictures, so I don't recommend it for a large storytime.
Ages 5-9 Walter’s real name is FANG, but his unimaginative owners call him “Wally,” “kitten” and “Walter.” The illustrations show Walter’s vivid inner-life, but readers will understand why, when catnip, food, or a good chin rub is offered, this cat admits “Okay, so once in a good long while, I answer to ‘Wally.’”
Your cat may not be what s/he seems. Hicks tells a story of Walter, a house cat who has a secret life... Well, kind of. Love reading the story from Walter's point of view and getting the extra insight you get from 1st person. To top it all off, Dan Santat's illustrations add a whole new level bringing Walter's secret to life.
Yes that's right, it's a children's book version of Walter Mitty, with a cat. I'm sort of baffled by it (see also: children's picture book version of Animal Farm. Why is this a thing? Why?) but it is cute and it's funny and it'll feel very familiar to cat owners. Walter's name is really Fang, of course.
Anyway it's fun.
Anyway it's fun.
It wasn't all that I hoped, given the title, and I'm not sure if some of the language and ideas might be too advanced for young children, but overall a good read about having a rich fantasy life while still acknowledging the good parts of real life.
It would be a good choice for a story time for 5-year-olds+.
It would be a good choice for a story time for 5-year-olds+.
Although the story does not draw on Thurber's Secret Life of Walter Mitty, our Walter Kitty is just as involved in his dreams of heroic feats and larger-than-life action. His real life, with his Person and her tolerable husband, is that of a normal cat. Walter "helps" around the house, much to his owners' irritation, and he grudgingly admits that his life isn't always so bad.
The illustrations are excellent. The human beings, always secondary to Walter Kitty, blend into the background (as Walter...more
The illustrations are excellent. The human beings, always secondary to Walter Kitty, blend into the background (as Walter...more
This is a very funny book. The delusions of one cat and the humans that put up with them. It reminds me of a Chester book by Melanie Watt to some extent.
Dec 29, 2007
Tiffany
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
families who love cats
Shelves:
childrens-books
I ordered this book from Amazon.com because it had great reviews, but was disappointed in it when I first read it. Then I gave it to my 2 and 4 year old girls for Christmas, and they LOVED it - they giggled all the way through! It's about a kitty who hates to be called his given name, Walter, because his "actual name" is Fang, and all his antics. I think they can relate to him always getting into mischief. I only gave 4 stars because Fang/Walter gets called a Nincompoop, inspiring much hilarity...more
Ages 5-9. Humorous dialogue but it be more funny for adults than younger children. Vivid illustrations.
When did I become such a sucker for kitty books?
This one is really cute, great illustrations!
This one is really cute, great illustrations!
I loved this! very funny, and great illustrations.
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funny story; cute cartooney illustrations
Pretty darn funny.
Hilarious. Wonderful homage to James Thurber. If you're a teen or adult, and like this, you probably would like Thurber, too. Cats, small children, and hen-packed husbands all often have rich inner lives in which they have much more power & adventure than in real-life.
This is not the sort of book I would normally pick off the shelf but it reminded me of middle school english and I thought I'd get it to see how much of Walter Mitty was to be seen in the cat who calls himself Fang. It read less like a comic book than it appeared when I first glanced at it.
I'm a cat person and I like cat books and this is one of the bet ones I have read in a while. The illustrations are fantastic and lively and I love the use of calling the owners "my person." The various nicknames and the personality of the cat are very fleshed out. A fun book!
Nov 25, 2007
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
read-childrens-books,
read-cat-books
Well, this was cute! A cat take-off on Thurber's "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". I could just see one of my cats thinking like this!
I'm a sucker for cats, and this book reminded me very much of my cats, who seem to think that they are much tougher than they are.
house cat dreams of being many things other than himself. anyone who owns a cat will understand the motives of walter.
If I was one of those "cat people" I would probably like this a whole lot more.
Apr 10, 2013
Chloe Walcher
marked it as to-read
Mar 18, 2013
Emily
added it
Mar 05, 2013
Kate Shea
marked it as for-owen
Mar 04, 2013
Edith
marked it as to-read
Dec 14, 2012
Laura Cordes
added it
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Acclaimed children's book author BARBARA JEAN HICKS offers visiting author programs and workshops for aspiring writers of all ages. With a flair for the dramatic, Barbara engages, entertains, educates and inspires her audiences. She has taught at the preschool, middle school and community college levels and most recently worked in an elementary school as author-in-residence, program facilitator an...more
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