March 20, 2026
Ok, Ok, Ok, I know I know everyone is like “another cat book from Elspeth, wow, of course huge surprise”. But this one is different (and all the other ones are good too!). This one is about misunderstandings, which is my favorite type of comedy. I’ve been wanting to review a Maddie Frost book for ages, and now I've finally got one in time! I wanted to review Bear in a Bathrobe (Mini Review: Get Bear in a Bathrobe), but it fell out of my 6-months-from-publication review window before I had time to get it on the website. I have recommended Maddie’s Little Boo HERE.
Beatrix loves visiting her Granny. Granny always makes her feel special. But she also worries that when she’s not visiting, Granny might be lonely. She has an idea. Get Granny a cat! (A note: For those of you thinking, “What a great idea!” It is always best to check first before giving a loved one an unexpected animal.) Granny is mildly stumped, but figures Beatrix must love cats. So Granny decides that the only thing Beatrix might like better than one cat is... more cats! SPOILER: This is not the case. Soon, Granny’s house is in chaos, and no one really wants to be there, Granny or Beatrix. It’s a CATastrophe, and Beatrix has to put a stop to it.
Bits and Pieces: The illustrations were done in Photoshop. No cats were harmed in the making of this book. I will read this to the next child that wanders into my home. Mark my words! I was trying to test a different new book on my new friend Mo (2 yrs), and she was not interested. Pretty sure if I’d chosen this book, she would have listened to it rather than ignoring me, gently humming to herself, and making a cushion fort, which is what she did while I read the other book. Lesson learned. Cat books are the best.
Not sure about: I feel like Maddie made these cats extra smelly and tooty. This is slander, and I object.
Favorite Part: Granny’s fanny pack. The cat’s blank expressions. Granny’s retirement villa. All the hair in the food (accurate). The bald cat.
