My Pet Human

My Pet Human

by Yasmine Surovec

From queen cat lady Yasmine Surovec comes a cuddly new chapter book series about a cat in need of a pet human.
Oliver is an independent kitty. He has his run of the neighborhood and looks at his animal friends with their fussing humans with pity. But when a freckle-faced girl moves into town, Oliver sees the opportunity to train a human to provide him with a few creature comforts. And if he can help her adjust to her life and make a new friend, that's just all in a day's work. The real surprise comes, however, when Oliver needs Freckles just as much as she needs him. Not a comic book and not a traditional illustrated chapter book, My Pet Human is truly a hybrid of text and art that could only come from the whimsical and brilliant mind of Yasmine Surovec.

Genres: Cats, Humor, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Juvenile

112 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

Yasmine Surovec loves kitties. She is the artist behind the popular comic blog and book Cat vs. Human. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she now lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, son, and a menagerie of animals.

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Very* entertaining. Cute tuxedo kitty, cute human pet. Only caveat: text is B&W only. Cover art is great!

Oliver, "Mr. Independence", is listing his prereqs for the perfect Human Pet. He concludes they don't exist: "They're crazy, aloof, moody, or high maintenance. I don't want to deal with that."

Author's website: www.catversushuman.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catversushu...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming little book! I always like it when animals talk about their "pet humans" and see our person-pet relationship differently than we do. Graphic novel? Heavily illustrated? This is a good blend of pictures and text. The pictures of the kitty giving "the look", making his eyes big and irresistable is adorable. I also liked it when he "hugged" his person. As I have a tuxedo cat, too, I kept imagining her being like that. The ending where the cat's plan works out is a unbelievable, but who cares? It was just what we wanted.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A homeless street can narrates the 're of finding a family and a friend for his new pet human. The anime style of "the look" that elicits good from humans is worth it, all in its own.

library copy

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cat who likes olives is my kind of cat.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a "cat person", but I really enjoyed this book. Writing early chapter books is tricky and Yasmine Surovec has done it beautifully. Kids will LOVE this book!

[Jennifer (JenIsNotaBookSnob) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely for the 'just barely into chapter books' age category. I enjoy some juvenile fiction and a lot of YA fiction. This one is okay. My 6 year old enjoyed it, we took turns reading it as she is just finishing kindergarten and definitely can't read the whole thing yet. It's very repetitive in its' vocabulary, which it would have to be for the targeted age range.

This is a book for beginning chapter book readers and really no one else. It's not bad, but, it's not that charming either. I think it really does all it can with the text though while still staying at a reading level suitable for beginning chapter book readers.

[Salza Puspitasari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having 3 domesticated (previously stray) cats, I can relate to every part of being “tamed” by them 😆

Love Yasmine Surovec’s simple artworks and storytelling 🥰 can’t wait for the shipment of her 2 other books!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick and easy book but I loved reading it 😍😺

[Lucca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great early chapter books, pictures too

[anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

funny and super cute ♡

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SSYRA Jr.
Super cute story about a stray cat who doesn't need a pet human like his friends...or does he?

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my 5 year old, it was fun and entertaining. my daughter loved every minute of it!

[Tara Ethridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

So adorable and funny and perfect for animal lovers. A bit graphic novel and a bit chapter book, so perfect for beginning chapter book readers.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww. Adorable.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a kids book 😅 slightly embarrassed to be reading this as an adult but..hey it wasn’t too bad!

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our unnamed cat narrator tells us how much he loves living on his own--doing what he wants, going where he wants, seeing who he wants. But is he really happy without a pet human of his own? When a family moves into the empty house near his favorite tree, he smells something delicious and ventures in to find a "little human" who gives him treats. He decides to stay. For the food. And for a little while. But will that be enough for both of them?

This was a short, sweet, and ADORABLE book. Short chapters and short paragraphs on each page with lots of simple but effective illustrations. Our nameless cat talks a good talk, but you can tell it's not how he really wants to live, although he's reluctant to even admit it to himself. I'll be happy to recommend this to my library's patrons as it fits wonderfully well into that midway category for kids who are moving out of leveled readers and into chapter books. Recommended for grades 1 to 2 and up.

And yes, I'm a sucker for books that show us the absurd inner voice of cats. :)

[Hilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins with an adorable stray cat!


This little guy is so smart he's mastered THE LOOK.


I loved the story. It's the perfect combination of words and pictures. I can't wait for My Pet Human Takes Center Stage! ~Torres

This story is PUURRRRRfect! ~Luis, 8 years old

This book is terrific! ~Arthur G., 8 years old

My favorite part in the story was when the girl hugged Ben and said, "I love you for ever and ever, amen!" ~Alexis, 9 years old

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A super cute and quick read! :D

[Vernon Area Public Library KIDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent, smart, and sassy, Oliver the Cat loves to scam food from unsuspecting humans. Even though he relishes his aloof nature (as any cat would), Oliver does admit that there are some benefits to having a pet human, especially when animal control is giving him the shake down. So when a young girl moves into his neighborhood, he sees an opportunity that cannot be passed up and proceeds to wow her with his kitty cuteness in return for cat treats. The story takes a turn and a mutual friendship is born between the two that softens this self-reliant cat’s heart. An appropriate mix of illustrations and text makes this a great beginning chapter book for children in grades 1-3. Reviewed by: Alyson D., Youth Services, Vernon Area Public Library

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book! I'm a big fan of Surovec's web comic, and I thought her recent picture books (especially A Bed for Kitty) were really cute and lovely--perfect for story time. This illustrated beginning chapter book, though, is pretty disappointing. The illustrations are nice enough, I guess, but maybe it's because they're in black-and-white only (when I'm used to full-color Cat vs Human) that they feel a little flat. I think what bums me out the most is that the feline narrator just doesn't sound catty enough (maybe the author's simply better at writing about cats than she is writing from a cat's POV); again, his voice feels flat. While I was expecting (and excited about) reading a cutesy, girly little kitteh confection, I was mostly "meh" over this boring, contrived effort.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm trying to read more books by Filipino authors and this graphic novel was recommended. It's super cute and I can see the appeal. "The Look" and the boop-ing will appeal to anyone who has a heart. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

[Melle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An utterly charming beginning chapter book told from the perspective of an independent tuxie who finds himself considering a pet human. Melts my icy crazy-cat-lady heart. Yasmine Surovec's art is almost too adorable.

[Rachel❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute! I'd recommend for 1-3 graders. A little kitten doesn't want an owner, (or as the cat calls them "pet humans") but when some new humans move in and he begs for food, he gets attached and stays. There is plenty of cuteness and humor in this adorable tale.

[Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book told from a stray cat's point of view. A good quick read from the J Fic section at the library

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gonna recommend this one to all my kiddos that loved Dory Fantasmagory.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat lovers will especially love this book. Notebook style writing with tons of dialogue bubbles - good mentor text for using dialogue bubbles.

[Lulu · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is probably really good but I abandon this book

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

what happens when a feral cat whose used to independence and I stand alone attitude meets the perfect human (pet)?

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this book. It was a Sunshine State Book and I am always encouraging her to read those books, so I found this one and thought she would enjoy it. We read it together and laughed hysterically. It is about a cat that is used to being on the streets and does not mind one bit that there is no human in his life. He has friends around the neighborhood that he chats with and they always go back to their human at the end of the day, but not this cat. Besides, this cat has specific expectations that a human must meet in order to keep him around. Once a girl moves into the empty house across from the cat's favorite tree, he decides he going to train her to be the perfect human. The cat soon finds out that she is not the only one that needs him, he also needs her. Such a cute book. Fast too! My daughter and I finished the whole book in 45 minutes.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yasmine Surovec loves to create comics and this book is a gem. It is a wonderful beginning graphic novel. The dialog is clearly set out and I can see that my youngest readers will rip right through this fun story. A stray cat likes his life until he gets a taste for living with human. The young girl becomes his "pet human" and many things change for this independent kitty. I'm so glad to see more coming in this storyline. My students will LOVE this book!