Kitty is not a cat: Lights out by Jess Black

Hachette Children's Books 2020 ISBN 9780734419750.
(Age: 6+ years) Recommended. Kitty is not a cat: Lights out by Jess Black is one of four books being released this year by Hachette. The book series is based on the Australian animation television series which has been sold around the world. The story begins with a brief introduction to the characters and an explanation of the context of the story. Kitty is a girl who is dressed in a bright orange costume with ears, a tail and paws. She joins the clutter of cats that live in the mansion on the hill. Each cat has its own name and special qualities it brings to the group. In this story the cats settle down to watch scary movies. While watching the movies, the cats hear a loud "MEOW" from Kitty's room where she is having nightmares and wakes up frightened. The cats try all sorts of ways to comfort Kitty and let her know that nothing can hurt her in the house. They realise in the end that her night light is missing and create a new light to help her sleep and feel safe. During the night Kitty wakes and hears the lullaby from the night light and finds it in a surprising place.
This book is a very simple, enjoyable story that will entertain young developing readers who are ready for short novels. The fact that it is a series will also appeal to those students who will benefit from word repetition. The book contains very detailed illustrations and highlighted text where emphasis on a specific word is important to the flow of the story.
Themes: Cats, Friendship, Scary movies, Nightmares
Kathryn Beilby