The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's

by Patrick McDonnell

Bestselling and award-winning artist Patrick McDonnell uses the ABC's to tell a hilarious, high-energy alphabetical adventure.

It starts with an ALLIGATOR and a BEAR chasing a CAT. When a DRAGON (and a chicken and an egg!) join in pursuit, things start to get REALLY interesting. A wild and wacky chase through snow and ice, and to jungles and over mountaintops, leads the whole crew to a wonderful realization: They're better off as friends.

From New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott Honor recipient Patrick McDonnell comes an exciting new take on the alphabet book for everyone who has ever wondered what's just beyond the front door.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Cats, Storytime, Adventure

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip, MUTTS, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries. MUTTS has received numerous awards for its artistry and its animal and environmental themes. These include the NCS Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year, seven Harveys and the Eisner Humanitarian Award. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”

BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.

THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”

In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.

McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.

You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ABCs in chase form! Brilliant! Leave it to Patrick McDonnell and his adorably expressive red cat to get us up and running.

This fast moving, nearly wordless story comes together piece by piece, letter by letter. We are off and running as soon as our red cat hero makes a dash for the open door. Look at his face by the way. The pure joy of freedom is written all over it! But his “Yay! I’m free!” excitement flips to “OH-No!” A is for Alligator in a blink!!! Haha…Run! And off we go….

Cat and Alligator are soon joined by a Bear, a Chicken, and a Dragon. Yes, Dragon!!! Can you guess what F will stand for? :D You have to see the trouble and adventure these guys get into on the way to Z. It’s clever and sweet and laugh out loud hysterical. I loved every page! It’s an action packed, quick as a bunny guessing game and adventure for young readers to follow along with and learn. What does the “G” picture depict or the “W”? You’ll find yourself thinking of home, slipping on ice, and swinging in the jungle! And maybe, just maybe making a friend or two along the way.

This ABC ride is one you have to read and experience. Again and again! The wordless style allows the reader to be creative and spontaneous. I found myself adding new words and sounds each and every time I read it. Mr. McDonnell has created an ABC gem. An absolute joy to read!

HIGHLY recommended.

p.s.
My nephew said the “T “stood for together, which was the sweetest thing ever! I think I like his word better. :)

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alphabet books (like counting books) can be hit or miss. This one, however, somehow manages to be both an alphabet book and a decent story, all without using any words at all.

The little red cat runs out of his house and into the world where he meets an alligator, a bear, a chicken... and then a dragon! The chase begins. Soon, the little red cat and his new companions are off on an adventure across the world.

Each page has a letter in both upper and lowercase, and though there's no accompanying text, it's relatively easy to see what the letter stands for (figuring it out will be part of the fun of reading this one for the first time). There's also a key in the back, just in case kids can't figure any of the letters out. I like well-done wordless picture books, so this one is right up my alley.

The style of illustration is familiar, so I've probably seen the MUTTS comic strip at some point. It's a simple style, but it works here to show the little red cat and his companions off on their grand adventure.

If you're looking for alphabet books, this would be a nice one to have in your collection. You don't even need to be able to read to be able to follow the story, which is a bonus for very young readers.

Quotable moment:

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - this book is awesome!

The little red cat and an odd assortment of followers have one heck of an adventure.

There's nothing on the page but an upper and lower case letter, and the author's delightful illustration. It's up to the reader to discern what within the picture starts with that particular letter.

Whether you're reading this one because you're a fan of the author's MUTTS comic strip, or you're just looking for something great to peruse with your child, this book is a WINNER!

Highly recommended.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title tells what the story is basically about. It is close to wordless but with a few minor reservations, it is easy to tell what each letter signifies. In case you get stuck, the author lists the words on the last page of the book. I found O to be difficult to decipher and had to resort to the list. However, most of the others were either quite easy to figure out, or only took a moment's thought. It is a fun story....particularly the chicken and egg....but not exceptional. I certainly recommend it for an interactive story time with the audience puzzling out the story and the reader just helping if they get stuck...like on O!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the little red cat heads outside, he discovers a world of surprises and dangers that follow the ABCs. Readers will have to puzzle out what matches each letter along the way (though there is a key in the back of the book to help if you get stuck.) With a merry chase throughout the book, it has the feel of a Gingerbread Boy gallop across the pages. The book is wordless, offering only the letters along the way, providing a visual treat as the cat is joined by an alligator, a bear, a chicken, a dragon and an egg on his adventure through the alphabet. Filled with moments of humor, like the stop at the rest room for R and the lovely use of N and O, this picture book is a delight of an alphabet book that is great fun to share. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat and friends go on a wild caper from A-Z and back again. Playful yet focused and clear its' concept and plot. McDonnell achieves a lot with simple lines and plain backgrounds. The key in the final page helps for the trickier letters. Sure to be a kid hit that rewards multiple readings.

[Chance Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun wordless book about a little red cat who runs away and gets into all sorts of trouble -- in alphabetical order.

Each page only has the letter -- capital and lowercase -- and an image corresponding to the letter. A great way to tell a wordless story and learn letters!

The book is in an appealing wide-page format, which is extra exciting when you get to turn the book on its side to see cat and his companions parachuting off a cliff!

[Colby Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best ABC book that I have read in ages. I freakin' love this book! SO. MUCH. FUN.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abcs and all that.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! How did I miss this gem! So happy that I caught Victoria Stapleton's podcast where she interviews Patrick McDonnell. So worth a listen! The book features a red cat who wakes up one morning, spies an open door and runs away. He quickly comes face-to-face with an alligator and so the alphabet commences. This wordless book is a treasure. Hilarious and entertaining, kids will crowd close in anticipation. There's brilliance in the little details, so don't rush through. This would be perfect in most situations, but super-fun in ESL classrooms.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ABC book. The letters are the only things on the pages as the cat slips out the door and finds himself pursued through the entire alphabet. The reader has to work out the significance.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wordless concept alphabet book. I wasn't sure if it was really going to work but it basically does. The alphabet, through the illustrations, tells a story. I'm glad there is a key at the end because a few times it is hard to know exactly what word the author is going for and kids might get frustrated (okay adults too).

[Huda]

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (2017)
by Patrick McDonnell

This book is a best-selling and award-winning picture book for young children. It is about a little red cat who runs away and gets in different kinds of adventures in alphabetical order. This fast-paced story allows young readers to be focused and excited at the same time. Each page has only one letter in upper and lower-case along with engaging illustrations related to the letter. Even though the author used the wordless style in this book, the illustrations are designed to help children understand the story. Children will have fun because they have to puzzle out what matches each letter, however there is a list of words provided on the last page of the book in case they get stuck with any letter. This book gives readers the opportunity to practice matching sounds with each letter while enjoying the funny illustrations. Additionally, this book is great for dual language learners as well as for native speakers to learn ABC's in a creative way. This book also demonstrates friendship and friends experiencing different situations together.

Praise for The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's

A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2017
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2017
An Amazon Best Book of the Month (September 2017)
School Library Journal's Best Picture Books of 2017
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Books of the Year 2017
Huffington Post's Best Picture Books of 2017
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2017
ALA-ALSC Notable Books for Children List 201

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

First sentence: Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee

Premise/plot: Using nothing but the alphabet, McDonnell tells the story of a little red cat who has a mighty, big adventure before returning home once more. It stars a cat, an alligator, a bear, a dragon, a chicken, and an egg....

My thoughts: Technically, I'm not sure if this one would count as wordless or not. The only text within the book is the alphabet. The story is communicated nevertheless. This one has plenty of adventure and some guesswork. The only letter I had trouble translating back into a word to further the story was Ww. (Which was 'wave.') The other letters I was able to 'read' correctly in the context of the story. (Mostly). If I'm being 100% honest, I interpreted Nnnnnnnnnnnnn Ooooooooooo! as NO and not "no over." But either way the story made complete sense.

Text: 0 out of 0
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 4 out of 5

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this cute picture book in a giveaway and just love it. It teaches children their ABC's but it is a bit harder than most books. The child must figure out what is going on in the picture that corresponds with the Letter. Very fun book! Kids just loved it! I would recommend this to everyone that has kids that like a little bit of a challenge.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just found this fun. I don't know that it will hold up for repeated readings and it is more for a child that is fairly familiar with her/his alphabet.

A basically wordless picture book in which a cat runs away and runs into or experiences various things in order of the alphabet. Capitol and lower case letters shown. Items identified on last page with the whole alphabet.

[Melissa McAlvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that I am not always a Patrick McDonnell fan, but this one was fun. Cute and engaging enough for both girls and always love the books that Norah can "read" later.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with the letters of the alphabet on each page with illustrations. You can make up the story as you go as there are no sentences. My son liked it as he is in a telling his own story phase.

[Bridgette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nearly wordless picture book with a cute concept of a race across different landscapes. The illustrations are wonderful.

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute! (You'll fall in love with the egg.)

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book, and it was one that made me think, too!  What's being illustrated isn't elaborated upon by the letter's corresponding word, so it's up to the reader to guess what's happening.  It also makes great use of the physical book itself, and is all around just a great book for those learning their ABCs.  

Review cross-listed here!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good introduction to meditation for kids. Except I kept thinking that the first thing Henry should do to calm down is drink less lemonade.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love McDonnell's Mutt's comics. This was pure pleasure for me.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever, adorable, and laugh-out-loud funny.

[Ms. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An alphabet story that will make both children and adults laugh. I can now say I have a favorite alphabet story.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Kristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn's 23rd book. Patrick's books are always a joy. I loved rereading this to my daughter and I'm sure we will continue to do so as she grows.

[Olivia Carter]

Plot: The little red cat heads out his front door and is soon pursued by a parade of animals while encountering obstacles in appropriate alphabetical order. The exciting wordless chase creates a guessing game for young readers.
In this book, readers are challenged to put their phonemic skills to the test as they follow along on a humorous adventure.

Ink and watercolor cartoons on white backgrounds tell a nearly wordless story of a red cat who has an exciting day. Each page features upper and lower case letters in alphabetical order, while the artwork shows the cat with something representing each letter.

Themes: Using only the showcased upper and lowercase letters as text, children have to use the sound of the highlighted letter to identify the animal or object on each page

Personal Reaction: This was such a fun book, and it was one that made me think, too! What's being illustrated isn't elaborated upon by the letter's corresponding word, so it's up to the reader to guess what's happening.

Curriculum Connections: This book assists with teaching the alphabet band also work on phonemic awareness and introduce the concept of beginning sounds. Students can identify each of the letters and begin to notice the repetitive sound in each. This Alphabet is a helpful resource for content learning. It can be used as the first resource for early phonics projects, providing information in a focused and easily digestible way for early learners.

[Cassandra Gelvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

'W' is for 'What??'

It's an alphabet book. It only does one word per letter. There could have been more there. It's interesting in that it doesn't actually say until the last page what the words are; it just depicts them. It starts with a cat leaving his house and then there's a page with a letter "A" on it where he encounters an alligator and on the page with the letter "B" there's a bear, but it doesn't say the words "alligator" and "bear" until the very end (except on the letter "L" where he's lost and it shows a poster that says "lost" on it). It's a cute idea. There's actually a little bit of a storyline, quite rare in alphabet books, although in a lot of cases it doesn't make much sense. They go from the ice to the jungle, with no clear reason for the animals to be chasing the cat, and then they fall off a cliff, and then when the sun sets they all get tired and they're rescued by a king with a unicorn and then everybody gives each other Valentines and they go home happily. What?

The letter "Q" is "questions." So many questions. I don't understand why he was being chased, and I don't understand why they stopped chasing him. It's a somewhat confusing book.

Message: Learning the alphabet is important.

For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.

[W.H. Beck]

Wordless (or nearly) alphabet book of a little cat who leaves his house and encounters an alphabetical adventure.

I picked this up because I love Patrick McDonnell's other books for kids ( A Perfectly Messed-Up Story and Tek: The Modern Cave Boy were regular read alouds in the library), plus it has landed on both Publishers Weekly's and School Library Journal's best-books-of-the-year lists.

Little Red Cat doesn't disappoint. It's full of cuteness, adventure, humor, and McDonnell's amazing way of depicting expression and emotion through just a few simple dots and lines. Would be great for alphabet lesson or, like all wordless books, to have readers read the pictures and tell the story in their words. A fun challenge might be to have readers write their own alphabetically adventures. Pair with another book that tell a story through the ABCs, like Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! : An Alphabet Caper.