Rival Book Lists: Cats

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Cats vs dogs

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.”

– Sigmund Freud

To cat people, Sigmund Freud’s words seem obvious. Cats are curious, intuitive, mischievous, and not a moment spent with them ever feels dull. Literary cats, of course, only serve to solidify these feelings. Here are 17 picture books published within the last year that prove why cats are the best companions a lowly human could ever ask for.

(If you insist on being a dog person, there’s a book list for that, too. Take a look at our favorite Dogs!)


Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat
by Katie Harnett

Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat goes by many names, but everyone knows that the cat who lives on Blossom Street isn’t the type to be domesticated. That is, until the day he visits a new house on the block and surprises even himself.


Big Cat, Little Cat
by Elisha Cooper

There once was a cat who lived alone . . . but then a new cat comes and a beautiful, life-long friendship blossoms. Told in muted colors with sparse text, this book will stick with cat-lovers for all their nine lives.


Blue Ethel
by Jennifer Black Reinhardt

Ethel is old, fat, black, and white. And she is VERY set in her ways. But one day, she accidentally rolls in sidewalk chalk and turns blue, and her world is turned completely upside down.


The Cat from Hunger Mountain
by Ed Young

On Hunger Mountain, there lives a lord who has everything imaginable and never needs to leave his palace. But when a major drought hits, Lord Cat is forced to venture down the mountain, changing his life forever.


Cat Knit
by Jacob Grant

In the world’s cutest cat book, we meet Cat and Yarn, who are inseparable best friends who play together every day. But one day Girl takes Yarn away and when Yarn returns he’s a little . . . different.


The Catawampus Cat
by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by Gus Gordon

A catawampus cat meanders through a town, causing everyone around him to reexamine the way they look at the world and take on new challenges. Until, of course, the cat changes his mind.


Cat’s Colors
by Airlie Anderson

Cat decides to set out one day and collect colors. But what exactly is she collecting them for?


Georgie’s Best Bad Day
by Ruth Chan

In this follow up to Where’s the Party? Georgie and his friends discover that sometimes it takes hard work to turn a bad day around, but it’s always worth the effort.


I Don’t Know What to Call My Cat
by Simon Philip, illustrated by Ella Bailey

A girl tries to name the cat who shows up on her doorstep one day, but before she can settle, the cat disappears! It’s good that her next pet, a gorilla named Steve, arrives so quickly with an easy name, but there might be a stronger connection between the cat and the gorilla than the girl realizes.


Marigold Bakes a Cake
by Mike Malbrough

Marigold loves Mondays because that’s when he bakes cakes, but constant interruptions and an increasingly messy kitchen threaten the integrity of Marigold’s cake—and his day!


Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite
by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Edward Hemingway

Mr. Fuzzbuster knows he is Lily’s favorite, but when four new animals move in, he begins to question his place in the family.


Papillon, The Very Fluffy Kitty
by AN Kang

Papillon is a pampered cat who is so fluffy that he’s lighter than air! When he accidentally floats out the window one day, Papillon enlists the help of a friendly little bird to get back home safely.


Stack the Cats
by Susie Ghahremani

One cat sleeps. Two cats play. Three cats stack! Cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors teach very young readers the basics of math as they stack themselves in delightfully fluffy piles.


Stripes the Cat Tiger
by Jean Leroy, illustrated by Bérengère Delaporte

Stripes is far from the biggest, strongest, fiercest hunter in the jungle, but that doesn’t stop this house cat from having an ego the size of a tiger. Fed up, his owner takes Stripes to the zoo to see a real tiger, but it turns out everyone is in for a big surprise.


The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read
by Curtis Manley, illustrated by Kate Berube

It’s not easy to teach a cat to read, but Nick isn’t about to let that stop him from sharing his passion with his feline friends.


They All Saw a Cat
by Brendan Wenzel

Readers learn to embrace curiosity and imagination as we see one cat from many perspectives.


The White Cat and the Monk: A Retelling of the Poem -Pangur Ban-
by Jo Ellen Bogart, illustrated by Sydney Smith

A retelling of the classic Old Irish poem “Pangur Bán,” this story tells tale of a monk who searches for truth in books, and a cat who leads the monk to the truth he has been seeking.

About the Author

Mel Schuit

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Mel is a picture book author, illustrator, and enthusiast with an MA in Children’s Literature, an MFA in Writing for Children, and a BA in Studio Art. She is currently querying her first picture book about Penelope, a pineapple who is trying to find a creative solution to a very spiky problem. Visit her at LetsTalkPictureBooks.com and follow her on twitter and Instagram @spiky_Penelope

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