Meow!: A Fun Wordless Picture Book About a Playful Cat for Kids

by Victoria Ying

Meow? Meow? MEOW!

Meow! is a charming, mostly wordless picture book about a feisty young kitten who gets frustrated when her family is too busy to play.

Featuring expressive art and sparse text, this fun read-aloud will allow parents and kids to creatively tell the story by expressing just one word in lots of different ways. This sweet and clever picture book is sure to charm readers through to the final purr.

Perfect for fans of the New York Times bestselling They All Saw a Cat, Spot, the Cat, and all cat lovers!

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Animals, Childrens, Family, Storytime, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the pictures you can basically just create any story with them they are so vivid.

[Erik This Kid Reviews Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a super cute book! It really reflects a family dynamic. The little kitten wants someone to play with him but mom, dad, and sister are too busy to play what he wants. So what does any self-respecting toddler do? They MISBEHAVE! Kitten gets himself in trouble and put on time-out. Soon there is resolution and the family starts respecting each other’s time and wants/needs. What makes this even better is this whole story is told by using two words! Ying’s illustrations bring the story to life and additional text is unnecessary. This one is great for beginning readers and kids who can’t read yet. *Please note I received a free review copy of this book

[Lily Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meow this book is so cute!

[cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute and simple little picture book about a kitten who just wants to play with someone.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

an almost wordless picture book. SO good.

[Jan Tamayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meow! is a picture book written and illustrated by Victoria Ying for readers ages 4-8. It tells the story of a little kitten who wants to play with their family, but everyone is too busy to entertain the kitten. The kitten throws a tantrum, and gets placed in time out. After apologizing and cleaning up the mess they made, the kitten reconciles with each of the family members by joining them in the respective activities they enjoy doing, and in the end they all play with the kitten together and strengthen their familial bonds. I think this is an adorable little book that can be enjoyed by readers ages 4-7. The book consists of only the kitten saying “meow” and then “purr” at the end when they’re about to go to sleep, so the dialogue is really simple, but this works for the intended audience of younger children. Ying’s adorably expressive illustrations convey the character’s emotions without having to say a single word, and the textured brush she uses creates a soft and furry texture that I think works really well for the characters. One thing I’d critique it on is that I wish she used some different brushes for the environment, because while the fuzzy texture works for the cats, I find it a little misplaced on a cooking pot or to depict water in a fishbowl. Other than that, I think this is a really charming book that children would enjoy for the adorable illustrations and message. I think kids would identify with the mischievous kitten and can learn that its ok to make mistakes and by apologizing and trying to be more considerate of others they can get to a point of reconciliation.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family drama - conflict and compromise - conveyed through "meow" and its myriad of interpretations through the charming digital illustrations of artist Victoria Ying. I love how the expressions of the cat family tell the story, from the little cat's yearning and enthusiasm for a playmate, to frustration when everyone else is busy, then anger resulting in an accident, corresponding anger on the parents' part, and sorrow, regret, and eventual reconciliation as everyone enjoys their respective fun activities together. All of these emotions are written plainly on the characters' faces. A sweet story, simply told with one word, "meow." (Well, maybe one more word... check out the adorable ending).

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wordless, oops - one word, picture book can be shared on several levels.
First, little ones as young as two can "read" this book.
Second, little ones as young as three can verbalize what "meow" might mean in people talk each time it is used by interpreting the illustrations.
Third, an adult can prompt little ones to tell the story using a 'dialogic reading' interaction.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article...

http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-l...

http://dialogic-reading.blogspot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8jet...

[Teresa Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is darling! I didn't think I would like it because it is so simple. But its simplicity is part of its charm. It is amazing to me how many emotions can be portrayed with one simple "meow". Little cat wants his family to play with him, but no one can. He gets frustrated. They get frustrated. But through some simple acts of kindness, forgiveness happens and special bonds are strengthened. The book is meant for young readers, but all of us could benefit from the lesson here.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

A kitten with a ball of yellow yarn gets into trouble when all the kitten wants is to play. The illustrations are playful and show the family dynamics. Only two words are used throughout - Meow (repeatedly) and Purr.

Good pick for cat lovers.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along the lines of the book 'Moo,' this book also is told using only one word. Fans of cats will recognize the antics depicted in this book that also carry easily over into the world of children and the things they do.

[Sarai Lillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable picture book revolving around an adorable kitten who just wants someone to play with them.
Mostly wordless (except for cat sounds), this book is perfect for toddlers who are learning animal sounds.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

We absolutely adored the illustrations in this picture book but there was only one word, “meow” used over and over. That might be cute to some but for me, it just wasn’t enough. Still enjoyable though.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does “meow” not count as a word? Not sure this book should be marketed as wordless.

Families reading this book aloud will enjoy the potential to read “meow” throughout the text with different inflections to align with the character’s emotion on the page.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me of my loudmouth, demanding, youngest kitty.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wonderfully expressive illustrations in this sparsely worded text make are endearing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

very clever

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordless...except for "meow."

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

Possible mentor text for young writers (kinders) to show how even one word with illustrations can make a story.

[Gulsah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purrrrrrrrrrrr

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can almost be counted as a wordless book, using just the word "Meow" or variations of it. The illustrations are expressive and those, along with the one word, tell a complete story.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much meaning in the word "meow!"

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very expressive cats in an almost wordless picture book.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cuteness overwhelms!

[Ame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this book only has one line that you have to master, but you better make sure you intone the correct emotion every time or a 5 year old may correct you!

[Lacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, easy for kids to read.

[Lorena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler alert: this book only has two words. Meow and purrr. The story is told in pictures, which can be fun, but it didn't work for me here.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute!! The art is adorable. (Yeah, I read it while working lol.)

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A one worded book that tells the story of one cat's day with his family.