Minifred Goes to School

by Mordicai Gerstein

Rules are made to be broken, Especially for Minifred. But if she wants to go to school, she'll have to behave, right? Maybe not, because Minifred isn't a regular child—she's a kitten! In this playful picture book from Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein, Minifred makes her own rules about how to have fun.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2009

About the author

Mordicai Gerstein was an American artist, writer, and film director, best known for illustrating and writing children's books. He illustrated the comic mystery fiction series Something Queer is Going On.

Reviews

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 5 yr old loved this one, but my preschoolers were bored. A Caldecott winner from 2004, this book talks about a kitten that goes to school. The illustrations were deserving of the honor, but the plot left something a little to be desired. My son loved the story about a family who couldn't have children so they treated this cat as a daughter, but after my struggle with infertility, I couldn't enjoy the silliness of that part of the tale. Then the ending left something to be desired. Instead of getting into trouble for never following the rules, the Minifred, the cat, ends up being allowed to be a kitten and "do whatever she wants" in school, even if it interrupts class, because she's a kitten. Kind of annoyed me, but my son enjoyed it, so it still has some merit.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cute but rather odd. Two humans treat a cat like their baby and she learns to talk (!) and eventually goes to school where she never follows the rules but it's apparently okay because she is a cat? I guess it is trying to show the ridiculousness of certain situations and how you have to obey rules at school since you are not a cat, but the main character that kids could be identifying with is spoiled and unaccountable for her actions. So for that, I didn't like this one much.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minifred Goes to School by Mordicai Gerstein sports a jolly looking ginger striped cat in a pink dress on the cover. Since there are many animal themed stories about animals going to school which Harriet likes I brought a copy home from the library. This book is different in that the rest of the characters are human.

Minifred is a cat adopted by a childless couple who for some reason decide treating a cat like a child is a better idea than adopting an actual child. Minifred rises to the task and ends up learning enough to demand a chance to go to school. After some hemming and hawing the school finally admits Minifred and the rest of the story focuses on how the cat and the school adjust to each other.

Of course cats living as humans in a human world isn't a new concept. Puss in Boots dates back to 1697 but there's always an element of magic and fantasy in the various Puss in Boots stories.

My daughter and I both disliked the book for the same reason: Minifred didn't seem plausible. The world she lives all the other characters refuse to believe that it's possible for a cat to be in school. Without the support of the other characters there's no reason for us to believe it's possible for a cat to learn how to walk, talk and go to school. The rest of the story becomes moot at the point that the suspension of disbelief fails.

[Megan Cureton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minifred Goes to School is a very fun and interesting read. I thought that the book does an excellent job of keeping the reader laughing and wanting to read on. My favorite part of the book was when Minifred jumped out the window and hung on to the kite and landed on the school weather vane. I could relate to this story because when I was little I use to treat my kitten like a baby just as the Portly's did. I use to put him in the stroller and walk around with him. I feel like children would have fun with this book because they know of course kittens can not talk, walk on two legs, nor go to school but this is what it would be like if they did. I feel like the illustrations in this book went along with the story exceptionally and they really told the story through the images. I feel like at the end of the book you could ask the students if they like following the rules, or like Minifred, don't like following rules, and you could even create a fun assignment at the end and let the students create their ideal rule list and have some fun with it. I love the humor to this book and it does an exceptional job of telling about a story about what it would be like if kittens were allowed to go to school.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

A childless couple discovers a kitten while vaccuuming under the couch cushions. The go the way of The Little Cat Baby and adopt it as their own. The get into dressing it up, feeding it in a highchair, and when kitty is old enough, she demands to go to school.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter loves this, and the illustrations are classic and it's cute... But to me it fails in any sort of moral way, as the spoiled central character gets her way to the end and never learns a lesson. Yes, she's a cat, but it still seems thin to me, compared to the amazing and thoughtful depths of which Mordecai Gerstein is capable.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd little story, but it is entertaining and the illustrations are charming. Our girls thought it was funny that a kitten was allowed to go to school. It's probably a decent book to read to children who are about to enter school, helping to get them excited about going.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grades K-3. Minifred does not like rules and has always done whatever she likes. But then she goes to school. And there are rules. And rule number one at school is that all students will do what they are told. (With one major exception).

[Sam Bloom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not Gerstein's best.

[Alex Putman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely adorable! The pictures are fantastic and the story is so clever and cute. And I just love the idea of a cat going to school. Also It won the Caldecott medal in 2004!