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Diary of the Cat Named Carrot
Celebrate a year in the life of the Cat Named Carrot, as she goes from humble beginnings in a shelter to a loving home with a family of three adorable little girls and internet stardom.
Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat—an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him—or would they?
Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah, and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between. It’s no wonder that Carrot’s videos have gone viral—garnering millions of views on Ellen, the Dodo, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People, and many more.
Complete with four-color photos that will leave readers purring with delight, the journal of this sweet, adorable kitty with personality to spare shows us that the human-animal bond runs more than fur deep. It is love that will last a lifetime!
Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat—an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him—or would they?
Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah, and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between. It’s no wonder that Carrot’s videos have gone viral—garnering millions of views on Ellen, the Dodo, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People, and many more.
Complete with four-color photos that will leave readers purring with delight, the journal of this sweet, adorable kitty with personality to spare shows us that the human-animal bond runs more than fur deep. It is love that will last a lifetime!
- GenresNonfictionCatsAnimals
160 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 2021
6 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 28, 2021
Sometimes you just need a feel good book and Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is just that!
I love cats and that is no shocker to anyone who knows me. Little fur babies are the best and are quite the interesting creatures - whether they are being lovable and adorable or being the biggest brats you've ever seen (yet you still love them). The story of Carrot is a beautiful one. After the incredible cat named Bailey passed away, Carrot join Erin and her family's lives. I find some of the best and strangest miracles happen when we least expect them or want them to.
This book introduces us to Carrot - an orange kitten who is absolutely adorable. Each journal entry gives us an awesome picture (sometimes comedic, always cute) and documents each and every fun time with the little kitty. Life changes, people grow and the cat continues to be adorable.
I absolutely love this book. It made my heart warm and reminded me how animals can truly be the true family we need (and it's fun to dress them up, come on). I highly recommend this book if you want something that will make you feel good (especially in these awful, dark times).
Five out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and HCI Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
I love cats and that is no shocker to anyone who knows me. Little fur babies are the best and are quite the interesting creatures - whether they are being lovable and adorable or being the biggest brats you've ever seen (yet you still love them). The story of Carrot is a beautiful one. After the incredible cat named Bailey passed away, Carrot join Erin and her family's lives. I find some of the best and strangest miracles happen when we least expect them or want them to.
This book introduces us to Carrot - an orange kitten who is absolutely adorable. Each journal entry gives us an awesome picture (sometimes comedic, always cute) and documents each and every fun time with the little kitty. Life changes, people grow and the cat continues to be adorable.
I absolutely love this book. It made my heart warm and reminded me how animals can truly be the true family we need (and it's fun to dress them up, come on). I highly recommend this book if you want something that will make you feel good (especially in these awful, dark times).
Five out of five stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and HCI Books for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
January 21, 2021
What an adorable book, perfect for young readers and anyone who loves felines. Carrot, a darling orange tabby kitten, is taken with her family to a shelter. She is blessed to be adopted by a young family with three girls who adore kitties. Their darling cat Bailey had recently died, and they longed for another to love. And love Carrot they do — shown in this “diary” of her first year with the sweetest photos of her and the girls. A must-read for every cat lover!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 30 Mar 2021
#DiaryoftheCatNamedCarrot #NetGalley
Thanks to Carrot, the author and her girls, HCI BOOKS, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 30 Mar 2021
#DiaryoftheCatNamedCarrot #NetGalley
Thanks to Carrot, the author and her girls, HCI BOOKS, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
March 31, 2021
2,5/5
Is this a nice idea? Yes. Have I seen this executed better? Yes.
As awful as this sounds - some pet stories should just stay in the family.
Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Is this a nice idea? Yes. Have I seen this executed better? Yes.
As awful as this sounds - some pet stories should just stay in the family.
Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 17, 2021
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review!
OMG, finally I could read this adorable book! There were some file issues so I had to wait a few weeks before it was fixed and I could read it. I am just so in the mood for something cute (haha, though I have to say also something scary given I am also reading a horror novel at the moment) and this one looked extremely cute!
Before I start, I have to say I never heard of Bailey nor never of Carrot. Maybe I have seen them pop around while reading Twitter, but there are just a lot of cats on the internet. Never too many though, but with the amount of cats I just don’t remember names.
I loved the introduction at the beginning, though points up to the paragraph above I don’t know who Bailey was. But it sounds like Bailey was a very special cat. I am glad that the family found Carrot. Who is a bit like Bailey, but also the total opposite.This reminded me of my dwarf hamsters. After the death of my baby Floof I was hoping for a new girl who would love hugs. I found Yuki. But just like how Bailey/Carrot are different but also have same things, Floof and Yuki are also different in ways. Yuki is way more hyper. Floof was more a lady.
This book is written in a very fun way! I know the title says Diary of the Cat, but I thought the diary would be written from human POV… it is not. It is written from the POV of Carrot. Which made the whole thing even more fun and adorable. Great decision! It begins with telling us about her siblings, about the writer and her family, and about her furver home (that is what Carrot calls it, please don’t comment on how it is spelled wrong 😛 ). We see how she spends her first year at this family and OMG, I was just squeeing in delight. I loved seeing her get used to her family, experience all sorts of holidays, see the kids grow up, and so much more. I just flew through the pages.
I do have to note that some things just felt very uncatlike and shattered the illusion that this was written by cat, that this is a diary of a cat. I mean, I cannot imagine cats being hyped about being spayed. Neither can I see a cat make promotion for the work that her owner does. And there were a few other parts. I would rather have seen those not be included.
The photographs? Purrrrfection. They were cute and adorable and I loved seeing Carrot grow up. Go from tiny kitten to big cat. Along with many costume changes. Haha.
I read that there is also a book about Bailey? Well, I guess I will have to get that book as well. Yep, I am planning on buying this book when it comes out. I definitely want to give it a spot on my shelves. And Bailey? Well, I am curious about that cutie!
All in all, I would highly recommend this fun and cute book to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
OMG, finally I could read this adorable book! There were some file issues so I had to wait a few weeks before it was fixed and I could read it. I am just so in the mood for something cute (haha, though I have to say also something scary given I am also reading a horror novel at the moment) and this one looked extremely cute!
Before I start, I have to say I never heard of Bailey nor never of Carrot. Maybe I have seen them pop around while reading Twitter, but there are just a lot of cats on the internet. Never too many though, but with the amount of cats I just don’t remember names.
I loved the introduction at the beginning, though points up to the paragraph above I don’t know who Bailey was. But it sounds like Bailey was a very special cat. I am glad that the family found Carrot. Who is a bit like Bailey, but also the total opposite.This reminded me of my dwarf hamsters. After the death of my baby Floof I was hoping for a new girl who would love hugs. I found Yuki. But just like how Bailey/Carrot are different but also have same things, Floof and Yuki are also different in ways. Yuki is way more hyper. Floof was more a lady.
This book is written in a very fun way! I know the title says Diary of the Cat, but I thought the diary would be written from human POV… it is not. It is written from the POV of Carrot. Which made the whole thing even more fun and adorable. Great decision! It begins with telling us about her siblings, about the writer and her family, and about her furver home (that is what Carrot calls it, please don’t comment on how it is spelled wrong 😛 ). We see how she spends her first year at this family and OMG, I was just squeeing in delight. I loved seeing her get used to her family, experience all sorts of holidays, see the kids grow up, and so much more. I just flew through the pages.
I do have to note that some things just felt very uncatlike and shattered the illusion that this was written by cat, that this is a diary of a cat. I mean, I cannot imagine cats being hyped about being spayed. Neither can I see a cat make promotion for the work that her owner does. And there were a few other parts. I would rather have seen those not be included.
The photographs? Purrrrfection. They were cute and adorable and I loved seeing Carrot grow up. Go from tiny kitten to big cat. Along with many costume changes. Haha.
I read that there is also a book about Bailey? Well, I guess I will have to get that book as well. Yep, I am planning on buying this book when it comes out. I definitely want to give it a spot on my shelves. And Bailey? Well, I am curious about that cutie!
All in all, I would highly recommend this fun and cute book to all!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 28, 2022
I think I'll dress up my *rescue* cat (that's very important) and take Insta-worthy shots of kitty being made to wear cute outfits in my trendy house and throw in my super cute kids! I'll get all the likes (and endorsements $$$)!
Ugh. Ms. Merryn should have just ordered a photo book from Walgreens to give to her family and friends who have an interest in her life beyond looking at a cute cat. But then again, that wouldn't be profitable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Ugh. Ms. Merryn should have just ordered a photo book from Walgreens to give to her family and friends who have an interest in her life beyond looking at a cute cat. But then again, that wouldn't be profitable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
March 24, 2021
I wanted to love this one more but it reads as if the author was trying to hard. I know that of I was writing something like this about my own cats I would probably be enamored by the narrative, but reading it about someone else's cat makes it a bit too precious.
I also found the cat's name change to be unnecessary both in real life and as a detail to add to the narrative. I had a male cat named Mia and I have a female cat named David and no one has had an issue with the fact that their names have gendered expectations.
I did enjoy the photos.
I also found the cat's name change to be unnecessary both in real life and as a detail to add to the narrative. I had a male cat named Mia and I have a female cat named David and no one has had an issue with the fact that their names have gendered expectations.
I did enjoy the photos.
January 21, 2021
I came for cute pet photos, I didn't expect this many kids photos. I also never understood why people dress up their pets, but it was cute overall.
March 7, 2021
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a sweet picture book formatted as a diary written from Carrot's point of view. Due out 30th March 2021 from HCI Books, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a sweet and wholesome photo album book with accompanying diary written by Carrot herself, with some help from her human mom, Erin Merryn. The entries cover roughly a year, from Carrot's kittenhood til her young adulthood alongside the small humans in her adopted family. Carrot and her family have a large following on social media and this would be a perfect gift for a fan/follower. It would also make a great read-along selection with young kids, as well as anyone who loves adorable cat pics. The (human) author is a Christian and there are some mentions of her faith in the introduction and text. I didn't find them intrusive or objectionable, but they are there. Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a sweet picture book formatted as a diary written from Carrot's point of view. Due out 30th March 2021 from HCI Books, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.
This is a sweet and wholesome photo album book with accompanying diary written by Carrot herself, with some help from her human mom, Erin Merryn. The entries cover roughly a year, from Carrot's kittenhood til her young adulthood alongside the small humans in her adopted family. Carrot and her family have a large following on social media and this would be a perfect gift for a fan/follower. It would also make a great read-along selection with young kids, as well as anyone who loves adorable cat pics. The (human) author is a Christian and there are some mentions of her faith in the introduction and text. I didn't find them intrusive or objectionable, but they are there. Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
January 26, 2021
After following Carrot on Instagram for awhile, I knew I HAD to read this book! I follow many cats on IG, but what I love about Carrot is how she wears fun clothes and loves her family! I loved having this book as a collection of pictures and posts throughout the years. Even though Carrot is dressed up many times throughout this book, you can tell that she does not mind! Carrot loves playing with the little girls whether it is for a tea party, a car ride or just cuddling on their lap.
They picked the BEST picture for this cover! I absolutely love the picture, and I think it accurately portrays Carrot's personality. The background colors used throughout the book were pleasing to the eye, but did not take away from the photos or paragraph blurb. This was laid out well, and I know the physical copy of this book with be beautiful.
This is an excellent gift idea for any of Carrot's followers or any cat lover!
They picked the BEST picture for this cover! I absolutely love the picture, and I think it accurately portrays Carrot's personality. The background colors used throughout the book were pleasing to the eye, but did not take away from the photos or paragraph blurb. This was laid out well, and I know the physical copy of this book with be beautiful.
This is an excellent gift idea for any of Carrot's followers or any cat lover!
June 3, 2021
Princess Fuzzypants here: Was there anyone not moved by the video and pictures of Bailey, the remarkable cat who was the love of his family’s life, especially the little girls? Was there a dry when the last thing Bailey heard was “You are my sunshine”.? He was a most remarkable fellow who could and would never be replaced. But as all pet parents know, while there will always be that hole in the heart, there can be a new love to help salve the hurt of loss.
Carrot, after a few false starts, adopted his three girls and has admirably attempt to fill some very big paws. His diary, filled with lovely anecdotes and insights and decorated with some of the cutest pictures, will show the reader he has been very successful. Like Bailey, he has no objection to wearing clothes or being carted around in various conveyances, something that I would never accept but must admit looks good on him.
He is sweet and cheeky and funny and ever so well loved. No. He could never replace Bailey. He is a star on his own. Cat fans will clamour for this diary. I give it five purrs and two paws up.
Carrot, after a few false starts, adopted his three girls and has admirably attempt to fill some very big paws. His diary, filled with lovely anecdotes and insights and decorated with some of the cutest pictures, will show the reader he has been very successful. Like Bailey, he has no objection to wearing clothes or being carted around in various conveyances, something that I would never accept but must admit looks good on him.
He is sweet and cheeky and funny and ever so well loved. No. He could never replace Bailey. He is a star on his own. Cat fans will clamour for this diary. I give it five purrs and two paws up.
March 11, 2021
☽ 23 / 100 ☾
This was such a cute read! To be honest, I went into it thinking it would read similarly to books like the one about the cat Cleo, but quickly realized that the book about Carrot was rather different in that it was less text, more pictures - and to my own surprise, I quite enjoyed it! It is a very cute and uplifting book from the perspective of a kitty, and I couldn't read more than a few pages without showing all the sweet and funny pictures to my younger brother. I think this would be a good book to read with a child as well!
I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a cute read! To be honest, I went into it thinking it would read similarly to books like the one about the cat Cleo, but quickly realized that the book about Carrot was rather different in that it was less text, more pictures - and to my own surprise, I quite enjoyed it! It is a very cute and uplifting book from the perspective of a kitty, and I couldn't read more than a few pages without showing all the sweet and funny pictures to my younger brother. I think this would be a good book to read with a child as well!
I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2021
I have been a fan of Carrot since the day Erin brought her home as a birthday gift for Abby and Hannah. This book is absolutely adorable as told from Carrot’s point of view. She tells us the funny things she does with her human sisters, while subtly teaching readers more about cats.
This book would make an excellent addition to any family library, especially those with younger or school-aged children. It is loaded with funny stories alongside super cute photos.
Thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for this advanced copy.
This book would make an excellent addition to any family library, especially those with younger or school-aged children. It is loaded with funny stories alongside super cute photos.
Thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for this advanced copy.
January 21, 2021
First off, I would like to thank Alison and Erin for sending me a full copy of this book after a technical issue meant I didn’t receive it all. This is an updated version of my previous review of the book.
Diary Of The Cat Named Carrot is a sweet, uplifting short novel following a young cat through her kitten hood days. It’s organised, as the title suggests as a diary with plenty of colourful backgrounds and photos making it exciting for both adult and child readers alike. To me personally I found it very nostalgic, many of the story’s where similar to that of my ginger cat Kiara’s first year of living with us. Many of the older stories later on in the book remind me of our current cat that has just decided to move in with us after living as a stray for most of his life (also ginger, must be a ginger cat thing). I really hope that in the future there are more Carrot novels! It is a wonderful, light-hearted in site into the world of animal rescue I would recommend it to all animal lovers looking for there next read.
Diary Of The Cat Named Carrot is a sweet, uplifting short novel following a young cat through her kitten hood days. It’s organised, as the title suggests as a diary with plenty of colourful backgrounds and photos making it exciting for both adult and child readers alike. To me personally I found it very nostalgic, many of the story’s where similar to that of my ginger cat Kiara’s first year of living with us. Many of the older stories later on in the book remind me of our current cat that has just decided to move in with us after living as a stray for most of his life (also ginger, must be a ginger cat thing). I really hope that in the future there are more Carrot novels! It is a wonderful, light-hearted in site into the world of animal rescue I would recommend it to all animal lovers looking for there next read.
April 14, 2021
I was expecting a book with cute photos of the Cat Named Carrot and her family, and that is exactly what I got. It's a sweet, feel good tale of a VERY tolerant cat who lives with three small girls. Carrot ends up the basement a lot but is obviously adored. She had big paw prints to fill after the passing of Bailey and she has done well.
If you follow on FB and/or Instagram, you will love.
If you follow on FB and/or Instagram, you will love.
January 21, 2021
As a cat lover, I very much enjoy reading about Cinderella stories for our feline friends. So when I saw this cute orange floof gracing the cover, I instantly thought of « Streetcat Bob » in Britain. Carrot’s origin story and fate aren’t quite the same, but it’s just as heart-warming. So thanks to Allison from HCI Books for sending me the file. It was a very quick, easy, fun read. It’s so sweet to go through this lovely family photo album. The author’s three girls look adorable in all their adventures with Carrot. I was pleasantly surprised when I recognised one of the girls from a social media viral post with the family’s previous cat Bailey.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a precious read. I highly recommend it if you love purrfectly feel-good family stories.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a precious read. I highly recommend it if you love purrfectly feel-good family stories.
January 14, 2021
I was a fan of Carrot from Instagram which is what led me to the book.
This was a very sweet, heartwarming, and adorable tale of a cat who wasn't supposed to come into the lives of this family still grieving their other cat but she did and made their lives that much better. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something just outright feel good no matter what your age.
A very sweet book that only made me a bigger fan.
The "diaries" of Carrot were the icing on already such a cute cake with the pictures so kudos to whoever thought to include them.
Just recommend for anyone who is looking for something to lift up their spirits especially right now.
Thank you to Net Galley who directed me to the book for free and Allison Janse who sent me the galley.
This was a very sweet, heartwarming, and adorable tale of a cat who wasn't supposed to come into the lives of this family still grieving their other cat but she did and made their lives that much better. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something just outright feel good no matter what your age.
A very sweet book that only made me a bigger fan.
The "diaries" of Carrot were the icing on already such a cute cake with the pictures so kudos to whoever thought to include them.
Just recommend for anyone who is looking for something to lift up their spirits especially right now.
Thank you to Net Galley who directed me to the book for free and Allison Janse who sent me the galley.
April 28, 2021
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange of my honest opinion.
I am not following Carrot on instagram, so I was not familiar with this celebricat, but I was expecting something more fun and creative from this book.
The cover is gorgeous, but the content inside it's made out of family photos and snippets. There are a bit too many with the kids for my liking (sorry, sorry, I am sure they are great kids, but this book clearly works only if you are family or familiar with the cat and this family). Seeing a picture or two is sweet and cute, but overall I was expecting a higher production quality and more creativity.
As I said, it's cute as a family book to share with your close circle, but it's not really something for the entire world. I too go around imagining what might cats might think and have lots of fun with my husband talking about that, but I don't think it'd be that entertaining for others unless they know my cats.
I feel a tad bit bad for giving it one star (let's say 1.5 stars) because I am sure this is a dear book for the family, but at the same time, this is how I feel about this book.
I am not following Carrot on instagram, so I was not familiar with this celebricat, but I was expecting something more fun and creative from this book.
The cover is gorgeous, but the content inside it's made out of family photos and snippets. There are a bit too many with the kids for my liking (sorry, sorry, I am sure they are great kids, but this book clearly works only if you are family or familiar with the cat and this family). Seeing a picture or two is sweet and cute, but overall I was expecting a higher production quality and more creativity.
As I said, it's cute as a family book to share with your close circle, but it's not really something for the entire world. I too go around imagining what might cats might think and have lots of fun with my husband talking about that, but I don't think it'd be that entertaining for others unless they know my cats.
I feel a tad bit bad for giving it one star (let's say 1.5 stars) because I am sure this is a dear book for the family, but at the same time, this is how I feel about this book.
January 19, 2021
What a sweet book! As a crazy cat lady much like crazy cat baby Claire, I love cats and Carrot is no exception. I was very excited to read this even though I follow Carrot on Facebook it was sweet to see her life presented from her perspective. If you’re a cat lover or have a child who is a cat lover this book would be purr-fect for you! This book is for long-time and new Carrot fans.
March 9, 2023
The book cover is rather adorable even for those who don't normally dress-up their animals and with my own two fur children they would never be caught looking like this particular cat. As such I was kind of curious as to what this cat's life would be like, especially with a name like Carrot and with no previous knowledge of her family.
The author Erin chose to introduce the book by allowing the reader into the time of her life where her family was in the midst of a change given to a previous cat who was also famous for his particular responses to this family of high-spirited girls. Due to the loss and worries she had for the next cat she wasn't quite sure if this would be the right step until they were told by a foster cat mom to come check out some kittens that had been born and that is basically where the human narration ends.
The rest of the story is told from Carrot's perspective starting from the day she was born to the year corresponding almost with the day she was adopted into the Merryn's home. As such there are giant gaps in the months and days with specific special days or days of merit being included in this particular telling. Furthermore each of these entries are preceded mostly with colored photographs of Carrot and her family at the time of the entry. As a result this almost felt like a healthy family read although the father wasn't quite mentioned besides for a few honorable mentions and being camera-shy is no excuse since he could have been portrayed in the entries as text instead of visually represented.
Given how closely involved Carrot is with her human family, especially the girls, it would have been really disingenuous to just have included photographs of her as a cat living the best life a cat could live. And as such I can definitely see where some would be upset that this is one of this internet-famous families money-grabs, especially since this family had previously released another book on their prior famous kitty.
My main two worries for this book would be the fact that at times Carrot seemed really too educated and advanced for a cat such as when she was talking about why she couldn't have kittens herself although she did want them, the knowledge of the conditions of the shelters and the knowledge of why so many cats are in the condition that they are in. Although I know the author did this to help bring awareness to the situation of shelter animals it made for the book to be a bit high-handed at times.
And finally as the author pointed out earlier in the book this is a cat that isn't really like any I have known in my own companionship of the animals and as such it may put a heavy expectation on other cats who live in families with children. As such it does pose rather a good question about whether this book should have been published just as a keepsake for this family and their closest friends, possibly even fans, instead of to the world in general.
In the end it was cute for what it was, written in a simple voice and would probably be more of a book geared towards parents as the voice is rather nostalgic. It's not only a book about one family and the cat they adopted but rather a snapshot in their life in which just another year older also means changes that bring the whole family closer to growing older with all its inevitable changes.
**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
The author Erin chose to introduce the book by allowing the reader into the time of her life where her family was in the midst of a change given to a previous cat who was also famous for his particular responses to this family of high-spirited girls. Due to the loss and worries she had for the next cat she wasn't quite sure if this would be the right step until they were told by a foster cat mom to come check out some kittens that had been born and that is basically where the human narration ends.
The rest of the story is told from Carrot's perspective starting from the day she was born to the year corresponding almost with the day she was adopted into the Merryn's home. As such there are giant gaps in the months and days with specific special days or days of merit being included in this particular telling. Furthermore each of these entries are preceded mostly with colored photographs of Carrot and her family at the time of the entry. As a result this almost felt like a healthy family read although the father wasn't quite mentioned besides for a few honorable mentions and being camera-shy is no excuse since he could have been portrayed in the entries as text instead of visually represented.
Given how closely involved Carrot is with her human family, especially the girls, it would have been really disingenuous to just have included photographs of her as a cat living the best life a cat could live. And as such I can definitely see where some would be upset that this is one of this internet-famous families money-grabs, especially since this family had previously released another book on their prior famous kitty.
My main two worries for this book would be the fact that at times Carrot seemed really too educated and advanced for a cat such as when she was talking about why she couldn't have kittens herself although she did want them, the knowledge of the conditions of the shelters and the knowledge of why so many cats are in the condition that they are in. Although I know the author did this to help bring awareness to the situation of shelter animals it made for the book to be a bit high-handed at times.
And finally as the author pointed out earlier in the book this is a cat that isn't really like any I have known in my own companionship of the animals and as such it may put a heavy expectation on other cats who live in families with children. As such it does pose rather a good question about whether this book should have been published just as a keepsake for this family and their closest friends, possibly even fans, instead of to the world in general.
In the end it was cute for what it was, written in a simple voice and would probably be more of a book geared towards parents as the voice is rather nostalgic. It's not only a book about one family and the cat they adopted but rather a snapshot in their life in which just another year older also means changes that bring the whole family closer to growing older with all its inevitable changes.
**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
April 16, 2021
This is quite possibly the most adorable book I have ever read! I requested to read this book on Netgalley because not only am I a cat lover, but I also used to have a cat named Carrot too. I missed my old cat, so I was hoping this book could soothe my longings.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a picture book with diary entries, supposedly from the perspective of Carrot, a female orange tabby cat. The entries are dated from when Carrot was born, and then was adopted into the family, continuing until around a year living with the family. Carrot is a very sweet cat; even without the diary entries, the pictures themselves showed how much she enjoyed living with the family that adopted her. The family has three young daughters, and the girls always included Carrot in whatever they did.
The fact that Carrot simply let her family dress her up and take pictures of me really awed me. I have always wanted cats that love you so much to the point they let you do whatever you want with them (with love, of course) but unsurprisingly they never came to me. The cats that I had (and the strays that I fed) all had attitudes and would never give in to me! Seeing how gentle and well-mannered Carrot seemed to be made me love this book more.
I really had fun reading through this book—the pictures of Carrot and the girls are adorable, and some of the diary entries are hilarious too. It was a quick read as well, with only 160 pages and half being pictures of the cat. But personally, I probably would not have purchased this book myself. Although the contents are cute and fun, they were not that meaningful to me. Perhaps because I was not a follower of Carrot on her social medias, and also because I do not know the family of Carrot personally. I would think that this book would really be lovely for those who have followed Carrot's journey prior to the publication of this book.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a picture book with diary entries, supposedly from the perspective of Carrot, a female orange tabby cat. The entries are dated from when Carrot was born, and then was adopted into the family, continuing until around a year living with the family. Carrot is a very sweet cat; even without the diary entries, the pictures themselves showed how much she enjoyed living with the family that adopted her. The family has three young daughters, and the girls always included Carrot in whatever they did.
The fact that Carrot simply let her family dress her up and take pictures of me really awed me. I have always wanted cats that love you so much to the point they let you do whatever you want with them (with love, of course) but unsurprisingly they never came to me. The cats that I had (and the strays that I fed) all had attitudes and would never give in to me! Seeing how gentle and well-mannered Carrot seemed to be made me love this book more.
I really had fun reading through this book—the pictures of Carrot and the girls are adorable, and some of the diary entries are hilarious too. It was a quick read as well, with only 160 pages and half being pictures of the cat. But personally, I probably would not have purchased this book myself. Although the contents are cute and fun, they were not that meaningful to me. Perhaps because I was not a follower of Carrot on her social medias, and also because I do not know the family of Carrot personally. I would think that this book would really be lovely for those who have followed Carrot's journey prior to the publication of this book.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2022
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot by Erin Merryn is a nonfiction book for all ages. Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat—an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him—or would they? Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah, and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human family: making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a lovely story about welcoming a new kitten into a family that is missing their late cat. I thought that it was neat to have the story from Carrot's perspective, and the pictures did a great job of documenting the family's journey together and how much Carrot (and the kids) grew. It is a quick, mostly happy read, formatted to be blog like- so it matches what fans of Carrot would already be used to. The pictures are fun, and while some of the text got to be a little to long for me, this book still works well and would be a nice read for any cat fan. It might also be a good book choice to start a discussion about getting a cat with children.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a lovely story about welcoming a new kitten into a family that is missing their late cat. I thought that it was neat to have the story from Carrot's perspective, and the pictures did a great job of documenting the family's journey together and how much Carrot (and the kids) grew. It is a quick, mostly happy read, formatted to be blog like- so it matches what fans of Carrot would already be used to. The pictures are fun, and while some of the text got to be a little to long for me, this book still works well and would be a nice read for any cat fan. It might also be a good book choice to start a discussion about getting a cat with children.
February 4, 2021
This is the story of a cat named Carrot and her human family as told from Carrot's point-of-view. Carrot keeps a diary to tell us all about her life, starting when she's a very young kitten growing up with her cat family, Eventually she meets her new human family, and goes home with them. We get to follow along as they all grow up together, and Carrot bravely figures out strange human activities, like Christmas, Halloween, and school, Along the way, she also helps her family heal from the loss of their cat Bailey.
Carrot's story is sweet and heartwarming, and is easy enough for young readers to follow with some help. The pictures of Carrot and her human sisters are adorable. This is a great book for long-time fans of Carrot or new ones like me. I definitely can't wait for more of Carrot's adventures.
Thank you so much to HCI Books, NetGalley, and Carrot and her family for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest opinion.
Carrot's story is sweet and heartwarming, and is easy enough for young readers to follow with some help. The pictures of Carrot and her human sisters are adorable. This is a great book for long-time fans of Carrot or new ones like me. I definitely can't wait for more of Carrot's adventures.
Thank you so much to HCI Books, NetGalley, and Carrot and her family for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest opinion.
March 9, 2021
I love reading books about animals. This is a year long diary written by Carrot, an orange tabby. She started her life in a foster home with her mother and siblings. She was quickly adopted by Erin and her family, whose cat, Bailey, had passed away.
Carrot tells of living in the foster home, being adopted, and all the escapades and celebrations she enjoys with her family. Along with her diary entries, are full-colour pictures.
I thought this was a cute book. We have two rescue cats and we volunteer with a cat rescue. It was funny to see some of the pictures ... our cats would never ever let us dress them up like Carrot. Crumpet is too spicy to allow it. I put a sweater on Muffin once and she just laid there stunned until I took it off. Ha!
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/03...
Carrot tells of living in the foster home, being adopted, and all the escapades and celebrations she enjoys with her family. Along with her diary entries, are full-colour pictures.
I thought this was a cute book. We have two rescue cats and we volunteer with a cat rescue. It was funny to see some of the pictures ... our cats would never ever let us dress them up like Carrot. Crumpet is too spicy to allow it. I put a sweater on Muffin once and she just laid there stunned until I took it off. Ha!
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/03...
May 18, 2021
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a quick, fun read. I love cats, and it was cute reading about life from the viewpoint of Carrot, the cat. Full of photos, which would be best viewed in a hardcopy of the book, not on a kindle.
My only issue had to do with the formatting. The copy I got was presented out of order. For instance, I'd go from a diary post dated May 2, then next to November 8,, then the back page, then April 9th. You get the idea. So it made it a bit hard to follow, but I got the general idea.
Even with my issues, it's a charming book. Would be ideal for younger children, ages 3 to 10.
This was a quick, fun read. I love cats, and it was cute reading about life from the viewpoint of Carrot, the cat. Full of photos, which would be best viewed in a hardcopy of the book, not on a kindle.
My only issue had to do with the formatting. The copy I got was presented out of order. For instance, I'd go from a diary post dated May 2, then next to November 8,, then the back page, then April 9th. You get the idea. So it made it a bit hard to follow, but I got the general idea.
Even with my issues, it's a charming book. Would be ideal for younger children, ages 3 to 10.
May 25, 2021
There is no day so bad (or good) that can not be improved by spending time with a cat.
Orange cats have a special appeal to me. They just seem to be larger than life and born with extra personality.
I was a joy to spend time reading Carrot's diary. The sweet family he was adopted into share photos and anecdotes, over a years worth!
I am not active on Instagram and don't spend a lot of time watching television talk shows, so I was not aware of Carrot's internet fame before discovering this book. Now I may have to seek out his social pages.
This is a fun escape book to procrastinate with when I should be folding laundry.
Orange cats have a special appeal to me. They just seem to be larger than life and born with extra personality.
I was a joy to spend time reading Carrot's diary. The sweet family he was adopted into share photos and anecdotes, over a years worth!
I am not active on Instagram and don't spend a lot of time watching television talk shows, so I was not aware of Carrot's internet fame before discovering this book. Now I may have to seek out his social pages.
This is a fun escape book to procrastinate with when I should be folding laundry.
May 17, 2023
I think anyone who has been on social media has seen the video of a cute little girl singing “You Are My Sunshine” to her ginger tabby. That cat, Bailey, has sadly passed away but the family has adopted a new cat named Carrot. This book is a diary of journal entries during Carrot’s first year with her adoptive family. Sweet photos on each two-page spread accompany the journal entries. I especially loved seeing Claire, the youngest child, grow up with Carrot.
Carrot is very fortunate to be a part of this family. She is clearly very loved, cherished, and adored. May they be blessed with many happy years together!
Carrot is very fortunate to be a part of this family. She is clearly very loved, cherished, and adored. May they be blessed with many happy years together!
February 17, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was very excited to be approved for this one - Carrot is just so darn cute. I've never seen her Instagram, but look at that cover! I also liked the format for the book, it would make a great gift or coffee table book. Overall, it's exactly what you'd expect (in a good way). Lots of photos of Carrot from itty bitty kitty to adult cat paired with cute diary entries written from her perspective. I actually teared up at one point because she was just so small and adorable.
I was very excited to be approved for this one - Carrot is just so darn cute. I've never seen her Instagram, but look at that cover! I also liked the format for the book, it would make a great gift or coffee table book. Overall, it's exactly what you'd expect (in a good way). Lots of photos of Carrot from itty bitty kitty to adult cat paired with cute diary entries written from her perspective. I actually teared up at one point because she was just so small and adorable.
March 26, 2021
A sweet balm to any cat lover’s soul. Lose yourself in the beauty of simple, joyful love expressed between a family and a feline. I grabbed this book because Carrot reminded me so much of my own dear tabby, Sunshine, and I wanted to celebrate that relationship. I love the journal format of Carrot’s perspective and the pictures of everyday life. I laughed out loud at the antics (of both Carrot and the girls!) and sighed at the sweetness. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.
April 3, 2021
Recommend!
Sometimes adults need to read a book just to remember how to smile. This is that book for readers of any age. I bought Erin Merryn's book about her first cat, Bailey, on a whim. I have since followed her to Instagram and Facebook, where I follow Carrot and her 3 precocious daughters. She gives us a look into her life raising "4"daughters, even if one has paws and not feet. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to smile and see the benefits of adopting a shelter pet and see what joy they bring to your life.
Sometimes adults need to read a book just to remember how to smile. This is that book for readers of any age. I bought Erin Merryn's book about her first cat, Bailey, on a whim. I have since followed her to Instagram and Facebook, where I follow Carrot and her 3 precocious daughters. She gives us a look into her life raising "4"daughters, even if one has paws and not feet. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to smile and see the benefits of adopting a shelter pet and see what joy they bring to your life.
July 3, 2023
Carrot the cat is certainly cute & photogenic. The author was in the right places in the right times to photograph.
However, because I love cats better than I like people, I dislike stories centered more on the humans rather than on the cats. I especially dislike stories imperfectly “told from the cat’s point of view”.
I felt the author only captured Carrot’s voice in a couple of places & managed to smuggle in a few messages about responsible cat ownership.
I like cats doing cat things, not dressed up like humans.
However, because I love cats better than I like people, I dislike stories centered more on the humans rather than on the cats. I especially dislike stories imperfectly “told from the cat’s point of view”.
I felt the author only captured Carrot’s voice in a couple of places & managed to smuggle in a few messages about responsible cat ownership.
I like cats doing cat things, not dressed up like humans.
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