The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat (I Can Read Books) [Hardcover]

Nurit Karlin (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Series: I Can Read Books

When Wilma the witch leaves her pet rat and fat cat at home with a crazy broom, they get into all kinds of silly trouble. The fat cat takes the rat’s place on top of the mat—and won’t get off. The broom and the rat try their hardest to get the fat cat to move—but to no avail. Only Wilma can sort out their disagreement. The spirited illustrations will make beginner readers giggle at the hilarious antics of these silly characters.

1996 Children’s Books (NY Public Library)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Short on plot and long on rhyming words, this series entry is another book of singsong verse that stretches to create a cohesive text. When a fat cat sits on a rat's mat, the rodent tries to convince the animal to move, but to no avail. He calls in his friends bat and hat to help, but it is only after Wilma the witch returns home that the cat moves from the mat. Karlin's illustrations show a golden plump feline just quietly waiting for a confrontation, a timid but determined rat, a somewhat determined bat (the animal variety), and a nondescript hat with two legs and two arms. Soft, gentle colors wash the characters in sunny shades but do not lessen the intensity of the personalities. Emerging readers may have some difficulty in predicting the less-than-logical story line, but the repeated sounds and rhyming words will reinforce their decoding skills. While there are many stronger easy-to-read texts by authors such as Lillian Hoban, Arnold Lobel, and James Marshall, this title is an acceptable offering for those libraries that never seem to have enough beginning readers.
Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-2. The problem begins when Wilma the witch is out for the evening, leaving at home her pet rat (whom she calls a brat) and her big fat cat. You see, the rat sits on the mat, while the cat sits in the vat, but as soon as Wilma is out of the house, the cat takes over the mat, and since he's so big and fat, he can't be budged, not even when the rat tries to lure him with a fish in a dish. New readers will enjoy the fun of the simple wordplay, even if the book tries too hard at times (the talking hat doesn't really make it). Each page is dotted with the characters, with the big, impervious tabby taking up most of the space. Suitable for readers just starting out. Ilene Cooper

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060266732
• ISBN-13: 978-0060266738
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,582,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inappropriate, September 28, 2004

By 

Belle "belle3" (Toney, AL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat (I Can Read Book 1) (Paperback)

This book uses words like "hate" and "stupid". These words are wholly unacceptable in a book meant for children aged pre-K to first grade.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Confidence builder and fun book for a beginning reader, November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat (I Can Read Book 1) (Paperback)

The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat is a great book for beginning readers. My grand daughter reads it several times each day. The story if fun, the illustrations attractive, and the choice of words encourages readers to continue their journey through the book. Most of the words can be deciphered by very early readers; the rest can be figured out through story context. I highly recommend this book.

28 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad behavior, June 10, 2004

By 

mommacass "mommacass" (Palmyra, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat (I Can Read Book 1) (Paperback)

I purchased this book because of the good reviews here, but I am afraid that I have to disagree with popular opinion. The characters in this story are rude, inconsiderate, and just plain do not get along. The story is about a cat and a rat who are pets of a witch. The rat seems to be portrayed as the favored pet and the book states that the rat hates the cat and the cat doesn't care. When the witch leaves, the cat leaves the vat and goes to sit on the mat, which is believed to be the rat's mat. The rat tells him to move (not politely at all) and when the cat does not move, the rat's friends (a bat and a hat) join the rat in bullying the cat to move. They also try to entice him off of the mat with a fish. The cat (beligerently) will not leave the mat until the witch comes home and asks the rat "what makes you think it is YOUR mat?" at which point the cat (arrogantly and victoriously) smiles and returns to the vat.

The words are simple and rhyme, the bulk of them fitting into the -at family, but the behaviors displayed in this story are just plain bad and there are no repercussions for them. We try to teach our children positive behaviors that support getting along with one another. I prefer that my children read examples of good behavior rather than behaviors that I would not want them to exhibit.