Kitten Trouble

Bad Kitty Chapter Book #12

by Nick Bruel

There's terrible news in the neighborhood next to Kitty's!

A conflict there is growing worse and worse. It started as an argument and has now turned into a full-fledged fight. Worst of all: The cat shelter has been destroyed.

Kitty's family decides it's time to do something to help. They have an idea to foster as many displaced kittens as possible.

Kitty won't mind, right?

Well . . . not exactly. Kitty does seem to mind.
She minds A LOT.

Will our favorite bad-tempered friend learn to share her space, her food, and **GASP!** her toys?

Find out in this hilarious and poignant addition to the Bad Kitty series.

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels, Chapter Books, Juvenile, Animals

153 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2018

About the author

Nick Bruel is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of children's books including Bad Kitty, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, Bad Kitty Meets the Baby, and Boing!, among others. Nick is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, and during his down time, he collects PEZ dispensers and grows tomatoes in the backyard. He lives in Tarrytown, NY with his wife Carina and their lovely cat Esmerelda.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/nickbruel

Reviews

[Janette · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really hate it when children's book authors start using their influence to foist hidden political agendas on our kids. Unfortunately, like Dav Pilkey, this seems to be the direction Mr. Bruel is taking lately and it is hugely annoying. As a parent, I'm fully capable of teaching my children morals and the truth about illegal immigration without any biased "help" from a left-leaning kiddie book author, thank you very much.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute comic for cat lovers or middle grade readers that teaches empathy and sharing.

[Yaritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hilarious story with Bad Kitty. This book teaches children to share and be happy with what you have. Others or not so fortunate. We should seek to help those in need. It also teaches forgiveness. The illustrations were great. I felt it was a little repetitive in some occasion, overall children will enjoy.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kiddo gives this chapter/comic book 5 stars because he adores Bad Kitty. Personally I didn’t enjoy this nearly so much as some of her other adventures. There was an underlying moral that was too adult and awkward for the setting. It didn’t flow for me, but my son was oblivious to it and thought it was great so I suppose that’s all that matters.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good message, but I prefer children's books without politics. This book was probably the least funny book in the series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about tolerance, but it wasn't nearly as funny as the other bad kitty books.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think this is just another book in the Bad Kitty series, I'd recommend taking another look. There's a lot to unpack.

The information provided within the story about conflict resolution, acceptance of others who are different, and helping those who are in need because of traumatic experiences in their own neighborhoods is far deeper than I anticipated.

Presenting both arguments against welcoming refugees and the counterarguments refuting them, the author not-so-subtly shows how we are better off giving compassion, forgiving others, especially when our differences can often be somewhat trivial.

I love that one of the kittens only speaks French, providing an opportunity to examine what it must be like to be a refugee in a place where you don't speak the language.

Feeling compassion for those in need and lending a hand is so important and this book strongly presents the case for it.

interesting quotes:

"Basically, cat, if you treat ME nicely, then I'll treat YOU nicely. If we can just learn to treat each other with respect, then there's no reason we can't get along, regardless of our differences. " (p. 101)

"We've been accusing them of doing all sorts of things, but they came here to get away from those same terrible things." (p. )

"You were so concerned about how you thought the kittens might damage your way of life that you never thought about how they might make your life better. You just had to give them a chance. " (p. 132)

"" (p. 139)

"" (p. )

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[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I wasn't as amused by this current Bad Kitty title as I was by the earlier ones, I still found many moments that made me laugh. I continue to be impressed by Nick Bruel's ability to tie seemingly unrelated narrative threads together as he does with the paperboy and Bad Kitty's beloved toy. The main part of the story deals with Kitty's human deciding to provide shelter for three kittens whose neighborhood and cat shelter have been destroyed due to some unnamed conflict. Kitty's not having it, and she certainly doesn't intend to share her space, her food or her toys with what she considers to be intruders. Feline lovers will certainly recognize her behavior in various scenes that are filled with much hissing and scratching. Instead of welcoming the cats, she scares them to death, and they end up hiding in her litter box, a place I've seen my own cats go for shelter, strange as it may seem. Eventually, Uncle Murray arrives and takes Kitty home with him. But a bad dream prompts him to see that he and Kitty need to be kind to those cats. I got a kick out of the cat tree, complete with all sorts of accessories that the other cats create for Kitty. It's hard to stay in a bad mood when Bad Kitty is around, and her creator has just the right touch in blending humor and a touch of sweetness. Fans of this series knows that there is plenty of good in Bad Kitty.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The neighborhood next door has some major unrest going on and Bad Kitty's family has decided to take in some of the kittens from there. Bad Kitty is not happy about this. She decides to go live with Uncle Murray instead, but a dream helps her gain a little more compassion for the displaced kittens.

Bruel has crafted a humorous Bad Kitty story with obvious parallels (well, at least obvious to adults) to the plights of refugees and displaced people. It's really quite clever. This is a very kid-friendly way to make the issues of displaced people understandable to kids and they'll have fun reading too. Highly recommended to families and classrooms with lower grade readers who want to learn more about the issues displaced people face and includes counterarguments to many common arguments against welcoming refugees into a place.

Notes on content: One of the kittens speaks French and says some borderline words in French which are translated more mildly. There's one use of profanity in French that is translated in the back. Destruction of the neighborhood next door is conveyed like broken down buildings and fighting is mentioned but not shown.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Roaring Book Press for my advanced e-copy.

Well, Bad Kitty is at it again and is just as adorable as ever. In this short graphic novel, Bad Kitty must learn to get along with some kittens from a neighboring street. Uncle Murray comes along with some words of wisdom to explain why cats do not always get along with one another. In another section later in the book, he explains how to get cats to at least tolerate one another. For children, this is a simple introduction into human nature as well - how to play nice with others. There is a glossary at the end of the book for some of the French terms used throughout the book because one of the kittens from the other neighborhood is a les chat.

[Shanna Hurd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty's family fosters some kittens who have lost their homes due to conflict. It is obvious for adults that this is a way to talk to kids about the refugee crisis that has been happening in this country recently. Or it could be just read for the surface level story (and to learn some facts about why cats don't always get along with other cats in real life). It's funny, but not the funniest in the series. Still recommended for fans of the series.

I also thought it was nice that proceeds from each book sold are being donated to the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, and Doctors Without Borders.

[Mari Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually love Bad Kitty, but from page one this book felt "off" and different from the others. It was clear from the start that the author wrote this book with an agenda. While I appreciate trying to teach empathy, this book took that lesson a step too far, which ended up making this book feel like propaganda or indoctrination for a specific political agenda. I personally feel that is inappropriate for the age group these books are targeted to.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the shelter in a nearby neighborhood has been destroyed, Kity's parents decided to take in some of the kittens, Bad Kitty thinks it must be a plot - dogs in disguise, gorillas in disguise, vampires who will drink their blood. Will Bad Kitty learn how to share his toys and food? Read this book to find out.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I've not seen a Bad Kitty book quite like this one. Bruel addresses conflict and attitudes towards refugees that are based on irrational fears. Plus of course actual cat facts! It is cool that he was able to make such a difficult topic accessible to kids (and their parents too!) in Bad Kitty!

[Marg Corjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the subtle message of being kind and understanding of new people and our neighbors. It is good to acknowledge our differences and see the advantages of other peoples strengths.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. Read it this morning to preview it for Brayden. I think he will like it.

[Ella Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was funny, especially the part where Bad Cat was mean to the kittens. This was an easy read and held my attention.

[Daniel Ganev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever .👌😁

[🎲🎧❤️CHanCE💔🎼🎲 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is about cats homes being destroyed and kitty’s owner took care of some of the cats until they could go back home and not have to stay at kitty’s home and the cats that lost there homes left a big sratching post for kitty

[MAGG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is funny because kitty trys to get rid of cats that her owner takes into there house because they don't have homes. This book is about sharing with others that don't have as much as you do. That is why I like this book.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Kitty's owner rescues three kittens from the neighborhood next to theirs that was destroyed due to conflict. Kitty is also in conflict with the paperboy, and now she has to share her things, which won't be easy to convince her to do. Uncle Murray provides fun cats about cats living in a group setting also known as a clowder. A glossary of French to English translations are included at the end.

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny story with a not-so-subtle message to give refugees, especially children, a chance/compassion/assistance. There's a note in the book that some of the proceeds are going to relief organizations which makes me happy I bought the book instead of getting it from the library. A classic Bad Kitty story. I'm not sure the intended audience will get the parallels to refugees, but the adults reading to/with them will.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Kitty is appreciated by 3rd graders. They love the silly and the random. But when you read a little deeper there are a lot of connections we teachers can make to what is going on in the world. Bad Kitty can give kids power in knowing what to do and how to act. Thanks Nick Bruel for sharing your proceeds.

[Sarah Hay · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a conflict in a local neighborhood arises some kittens are left in need of homes. Kitty's family decides to take in a group of kittens to foster until their shelter is repaired. Kitty of course is not happy about this arrangement and eventually turns to Uncle Murray for refuge.
Good for ages 7 and up

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good addition to the Bad Kitty collection. I liked the political undertones and real world applicability to caring for your neighbors, refugees, and how to solve long standing conflicts.

Read aloud with X.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of refugee kittens from another neighborhood and solving conflicts that sometimes arise out of misunderstandings. Appropriate and meaningful (plus I learned about how cats are territorial by nature and how to potentially achieve peace with living with more than one)

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute and I loved the author. I liked how he explained that the kittens were a metaphor for immigrants in a new, unknown location. What a nice way to handle this and teach them to be thoughtful while also laughing.

[Marlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super fun instalment in this series. Quite ridiculous, as the books tend to be. However, this was enjoyable for me and for my teenage son and my preteen daughter. There is so much humour in these books that we enjoy sharing the series over and over. We hope another story will be added.

[margaret amann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it cuz....

Um yea.... It's a good book but....i dIdnT kNoW kItTy iS wIlLiNg tO sHaRe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEeEE REeEE eEE REe oof

[Sharie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm too old to appreciate this series, but this one I really liked.