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Paperback with Unabridged Audiobook: 1 CD (7 minutes)
Read by Vanessa Williams and Nick Bruel
Anyone who’s ever owned (and loved) a cat can tell you that feline friends can be a bit…temperamental. One misstep, and a very good kitty can turn into a very bad kitty—like the one in author/illustrator Nick Bruel’s colorful kids’ book, Bad Kitty.
The story follows the adventures of a previously good kitty who goes on a rampage once his owners discover that they’ve run out of good kitty food. The illustrated book is an alphabet soup of yucky foods and bad behavior as the kitty is horrified by what’s left in the house and sets out to seek revenge. Gave the kitty asparagus? You might find that she ate your homework in retaliation. And in exchange for kidney beans, she might knock over the lamp.
Of course, when her owners come back from the store with an alphabet full of tasty kitty treats, the previously bad kitty also finds an alphabet full of ways to atone for her transgressions. Feed her an assortment of anchovies? Well, then she might just apologize to Grandma.
Bad Kitty is a quirky little kids’ book, filled with crazy menu items and wacky illustrations that are guaranteed to make kids giggle. At the same time, though, young readers will also learn a few things about the alphabet as they pick out words (sometimes unconventional ones) that start with (or at least contain) the letters of the alphabet.
This fun-filled foray into the ABCs is made all the more entertaining by a lively read by actress Vanessa Williams, who clearly had loads of fun narrating such a silly story. While some readers may have glossed over the various items listed, getting caught up in the monotony of it all, Williams gives just as much energy and excitement to asparagus as she does to zebra ziti.
The audio version of Bad Kitty offers a number of listening / read-along options. You can listen to the original track read by Williams—or, to read along, you can try the second track, which meows whenever it’s time to turn the page. Or, to hear the story straight from the author’s mouth, you can also listen to a live recording (complete with an enthusiastic young audience) by author Nick Bruel.
Whether your family has a kitty of its own or not, you and your kids will enjoy exploring the alphabetized adventures of Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty. And if you do have a kitty, let this be a lesson to you: never try to feed her xigua!
