The Scaredy Cat

Purrmaids #1

by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Vivien Wu (Illustrator)

Get totally smitten with mermaid kittens in the first book in this new chapter book series! It’s purrfect for fans of Magic Kitten and the Fairy Animals of Misty Wood series.
 
Coral, Shelly, and Angel are best friends. They love exploring their home in Kittentail Cove. On the first day of sea school, their teacher asks everyone to bring in something special to share with the class. Shelly and Angel can’t wait to visit Tortoiseshell Reef to find an extra-special treasure. But the reef is all the way on the edge of the cove and Coral is scared to swim that far away from home. Can this scaredy-cat learn to be brave?
 
These adorable purrmaids will have young readers paws -itively hooked from page one!

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy, Chapter Books, Animals, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Cats

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2017

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely adorable!
Cats that are also mermaids? How could this not be super cute.
They have fun kitten influenced vocabularies (purrrmaids, pawesome, purrrfert etc.) and love the ocean like mermaids. There is even a ship wreck in this one.
I think any tiny humans, getting into chapter books, would love to join these cute purrrmaids on adventures to learn some life lessons.

[Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t love. The cute-sy ways of adding cat things to words was cute but hard for her to read especially when she is still just getting the hang of bigger books. She chose not to finish it, it just wasn’t interesting enough for her.

[Marissa Gehrke]

Listen, I love the term purrmaid, but the cat and nautical puns were way overdone (fin-tastic, purr-omise, meow or never) . There also wasn't a lot that distinguished the purrmaids from regular mermaids. The combination of kitties and mermaids definitely seemed like a marketing idea more than a creative idea for what a purrmaid would do. However, all that being said, the plot in this isn't bad! I've read picture books by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and she knows how to tell a story. Coral, Angel, and Shelly are fun characters, and there's adventure, friendship, and potentially dangerous sharks to appeal to readers and hold their attention. Overall this is pretty good, and I enjoyed it more than the Cutiecorns.

[AMY · Rating 3 out of 5]

84 pages. I read 2 chapters/18 pages. Cut cat/mermaid creatures. Very girly. Lots of cat/ocean puns. Mostly positive feeling in book. I think girls will like it. Recommended for Grades 2-4.

[Emma McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 4 star book so good but kinda confusing recommend

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute book. My daughter loves cats, and like mermaids. So to her the combinations is the best. Her 7 year old mind likes to wander and she tends to play around a bit while I read, but when I ask her questions, she does answer right. So I know she is paying attention. This book is about how being cautious doesn't make us a scaredy cat, and that bravery comes in different forms. Also has a great little side lessons about friendship and not judging someone without knowing them. I think that makes a great book that parents can be happy with and for children to love. Rating based on my daughter love and attention of the book as well as the lessons it teaches.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are SO many animal puns that it kind of stops the flow of the book... but girls in 2nd/3rd grade will probably dive right into this series. (Get it? DIVE! Like the water! Cause they're PURRMAIDS!!!)

[kelsey! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saccharine and simple.

The idea of cat mermaids drew me in and the abundance of cat puns they were able to fit in (paw-some, purr-fect, purr-omise) continues to astound me. In comparison to the Rainbow Magic Fairies, I like that these seem to be more friendship-focused rather than defeat-the-bad-guy focused. (Although, disclaimer: I admittedly haven't read any of the Rainbow Magic series. I skimmed one just now (Kayla the Pottery Fairy) and have no interest in reading further.)

Plot thoughts: Even though it was super sugary sweet, it sure was cute that Angel and Shelly shared Coral as their show-and-tell special treasure and talked about what they liked about her! But I'm still a little mad that they both had their own special object to share and went ahead with their friend presentation because now Coral lost her coin AND didn't have a presentation AND her friends one-upped her on both! Imagine how terrible that would feel! (Especially if you're forced to stand at the front of the class while your friends talk about how much they like you-- part adorable, part nightmare fuel for some.) Maybe I'm just projecting but I think that if my friends pulled this shit, I'd be stewing in my feelings all day; grateful but embarrassed, jealous, and mad. BUT thank goodness for Chomp the Catshark coming in at the end to save the day! Also, Jesus Christ-- this book sounds all sorts of ridiculous from this little rant.

Certainly not highbrow by any means but entertaining, cute, somewhat empowering (though still reinforcing of gender stereotypes), and I don't think I'll loathe this series as much as I do Rainbow Magic. Recommended for early elementary, especially kids who love Rainbow Magic or Magic Animal Friends.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I love the cover of the book! It’s colorful and the cat mermaids are adorable! And of course, the story was equally adorable! I love the message it teaches in the end. Plus, the book was filled with cat puns!!
I can definitely see young kids enjoying this book and enjoying going on adventures with the three purrmaids!

[Beanie_weens6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it.

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars from Ellie. We’re big purrmaids fans over here.

[Roxanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! My five year old daughter was allowed to pick out one book from the book fair and this is what she chose. Mermaid cats having undersea adventures and trying to do their homework. It was a nice story with exciting moments ("one more chapter, Mommy!!") and a sweet ending. I'd buy her more of these.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute concept, and the... interior art is adorable! (I'm less excited about the cover, which both feels Uncanny Valley and uncomfortable from the perspective of having a human neck. The white cat (Shelly) looks contorted, since her neck is positioned fine *as a cat*, but with a human body, her head would be so far back that I worry about her neck being snapped!

(This is a complaint I often have when *humans* are drawn in the same sort of pose, usually because the artist wants to show the character's face, but they are falling downwards...)

Also, it bugs me when human characteristics are applied to animals—the characters wear clothes underwater (why?? they are both cats with FUR and fish with SCALES!), but also Coral's mother wears "mermaid shells"... which make sense when they are mermaids that are human-fish, but cat-fish??



...anyway! The STORY is adorable and very wholesome, if predictable: "The REAL treasure is the friends we made along the way!" and all, though the actual friend Coral made doesn't show up for their presentation like I expected but after the fact, though they DO dispel a myth about sharks being dangerous predators (though, also, they do find for-real treasure, too). I really do like the story! It's just the basic premise needs some tweaking (and also that neck thing I really can't unsee).

Recommended for young fans of cats and/or mermaids: This is both! Also a very good lesson in prejudice and overcoming fears!

[Heather Knight]

This is the first book in the Puurmaids series. The story is about three best friends who are part mermaid and part cat. In this first book, Shelly, Coral, and Angel are giving an assignment in class to find a special object and bring it back to share with the class. Coral decides she is going to bring a pink shell to show the class, and Shelly thinks about bringing her red sea glass, but Angel has a better idea. She wants to go find something that nobody has ever seen. She eventually talks her friends into going to Tortoieseshell Reef, a place that the girls know is not safe for them alone. While her friends are excited about the adventure, Coral's fear just keeps growing. Her friends convince her not to worry to much, and they eventually make it to the reef. While their the girls have a lot of fun searching for their objects, and Coral starts to relax a little, but when they lose track of time, the girls know they are in trouble. They have to rely on the help of others to help guide them home.

I really enjoyed this book and thought it would be perfect to read to young students. While it may be a little too advanced for my preschoolers, I believe it would be great for a first grader. The story is full of suspense and teaches a great life lesson.

[Dusty Budd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Title: Purrmaids: The Scaredy Cat
Author/Illustrator: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen/Vivian Wu
Reading Level: LG
Book Level: 3.5

Book Summary: The first book in the Purrmaids series, mermaid cats Coral, Shelly and Angel need to bring something special for their first day of sea school. Shelly and Angel want to go to Tortoiseshell Reef at the edge of the cove to get a special treasure, but Coral is scared to venture that far and needs bravery to join her friends.

Bookshelf Genre: Modern Fantasy/Science Fiction
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Voice- The author makes it clear early on that these purrmaids are young and inexperienced and the text makes that known through the simplicity of the words and the pace of the reading, plus the content is very basic. For a young writer, if they know their audience, they could use this text as an example of writing for a specific age, coming up with their own style to present the information but always keeping in mind who is reading their work.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many readers will enjoy the concept of a cat-mermaid. The dialog has many catisms: "purr-fect" and "furr-ever", which are fun. This book introduces three best friends: Coral, Angel, and Shelly. For a class project they must bring something really special to show to the class. Angel wants something unusual and purrsuades ;-) her friends to go to the borders of their underwater town. Coral is uncertain about this idea and is afraid it will be dangerous. Angel, though supposedly Coral's best friend, makes fun of her and calls her "Scaredy Cat". Despite her hesitations, Coral follows her friends on their quest. There are dangers and surprises but Coral learns that she is brave and it can be wise to be cautious. Sudipta has a cute, new idea here. For me the small downside is that this is a story about school girls just with the characters being a new creature. Still, it could prove to be a paw-some series. =D

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta The Scaredy Cat (Purrmaids #1). CHAPTER BOOK. Illustreated by Vivien Wu. Random House, 2017. $5. Content: G

Coral and her best friends, Angel and SHelly are very excited for the first day of purrmaid school. Their new teacher, Ms. Harbor asks them to bring something special to share with the class the next day. The trio decide to go exploring at the coral reef but find themselves too far away from home in an old shipwreck. Coral will have to be brave if she and her friends will make it home safely.

Huh - mermaids + kittens = purrmaids. Well, I think if you like either one, you might be okay with the series. The price is certainly right. It does have a cute message about being brave and what makes a good friend.

EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Younger readers will likely really enjoy the theme of this book: cat-mermaids Coral, Angel, and Shelly and their adventures in Kittentail Cove. Follow them on an adventure to find the "purr-fect" special item to complete their homework assignment from there new sea school teacher. Meet a new friend who helps teach Coral a very important lesson. The book is full of puns like "fur-ever" and "paw-sitively". Sudipta Berdhan has stumbled across what seems like it will be a great new idea for young children's book series.

[Jennifer McMurrain · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 7 year old and I have a little book club. She reads, then I read it, and then we talk about it. She really enjoyed the story, but I had to fight to get through it. It should have taken me an afternoon, but man, something about it was just painful to read. So if you're reading with your child, maybe skip this one, but if they're reading by themselves, it's a cute story that would appeal to most children starting out in chapter books. For me, reading it to bond with my daughter, well it was just okay.

[Mary Pimbblet · Rating 2 out of 5]

My six year old daughter enjoyed it, and it made a change from Rainbow Fairy books. She got even more annoyed than me with the stupid cat puns, for a book targeted at early readers they’re not the best idea. There’s little point to the main characters being half cat and half mermaid, but it appeals to a lot of young girls.
It’s fine, the plot is simple and never gets confusing. My daughter is keen to read the next in the series.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I wanted not to like it, but it is fine and slightly funny. For some readers it may work as a movie in their head. Is there a cartoon series? If not there probably will be.

This series may be fine for those ready to move on from Daisy Meadows Fairies. A little too sticky sweet for me, but I do think lots will love this.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

High quality literature for children. Probably not. Highly appealing to little girls who like cats or mermaids-yes! I've had 3rd grade students read the books in this series in quick succession so they must be candy books for young readers. My 4 year old daughter liked this book being read to her too.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 1st grade daughter chose this book series because they had "cool covers". She really enjoyed this book. It is a solidly written book with good story line, characters, dialog, and resolution that were appropriate for young girls her age. She had some good laughs and eye-rolls with the cat puns.

[Alyssa Plano · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this book together. It was very cute, sometimes a tad annoyingly cutesy but that is my adult point of view my daughter liked it. The message was nice about bravery and friendship. A nice change of pace from so many mean girl or gross humor books that elementary kids bring home to read.

[ErinTurnsPages · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s really cute, both my 8 year old and 4 year old liked it and want to read the second book. 8yo loved the cat puns, every time she got a new one she gave out a high pitched giggled.
I enjoyed the flow and the stopping points for the chapters. The chapters were a great length to read one in a night, maybe two on the weekend 😉

[Jessie Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable and charming early chapter book, rife with puns and a sweet message about friendship and the rewards of being brave even when you feel afraid. Young fans of kittens and/or mermaids will eat this up with a spoon.

[Yaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5-yr old loved this book. It’s easy to read aloud. Easy for him to follow and enough drama to stay interested. Fun and sweet. Good book about friendship and cat mermaids. We’ve a few in the series and enjoyed them all. Creative.

[Darian - Books With A Chance · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with my daughter, I thought the puns were cute and that it’s a good chapter book for young girls. My daughter however, did not like this book. She wasn’t into the story, felt it boring and didn’t find things funny or interesting.

[Laura Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter wanted to read this series with me so we ordered the books. She’s loving it, and it is a nice story about 3 friends going on an adventure but the way the author makes normal words into cat and mermaid words was incredibly annoying to me! Things like purr-fect and fin-tastic.

[Kyle Hough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story that's a good lesson about not judging others, but I don't like that they break the rules and could have gotten hurt in a dangerous situation but it's never addressed since everything is ok in the end. My almost 5 year old son picked it out and really enjoyed it