That Cat Can’t Stay by Thad Krasnesky, illustrated by David Parkins

When Mom rescued the the black and white cat from the downpour, Dad insisted that it not be allowed in the house.  Then he relented and let it stay until the rain stopped.  After the rain stopped, it was too late and they had a cat.  Then Mom found a calico cat. And the story is the same, Dad said no, gives in a little, and finds himself owning another cat.  Dad came up with very funny reasons why the cats can’t stay, but one after another, he found himself allowing the cats to be their pets.  In the end, the family discovered Dad’s soft spot.  Dogs!

Krasnesky’s rhyming text is very funny with a great rollicking flow to it.  It begs to be read aloud, especially Dad’s litany of reasons he doesn’t like cats, which are sure to have children giggling since they all rhyme with one another: “They eat my cheese.  They hairball-wheeze.  Their licking makes my stomach quease.”  Parkins’ art adds a lot to the story, ensuring that the reader is charmed by the cats thanks to their friendly furriness.  He uses white space with skill, changing the illustrations for Dad’s litany of cat complaints to make each one a bit more frenzied and dynamic. 

Recommended for cat storytimes.  This is a purr-fect readaloud for any family that finds that they too seem to collect animals.  I’d even recommend it happily to dog lovers.  Appropriate for ages 3-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Flashlight Press.

Also reviewed by:

• Bookfoolery and Babble
• The Reading Tub
• Sacramento Book Review
• Muddy Puddle Musings