Customer Reviews

The Good Luck Cat

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

According to Aunt Shelly, Woogie is a good luck cat, and he certainly proves it by surviving one scrape after another. But when he doesn't come home, we wonder if this good luck cat's luck has run out. This is a light, charming celebration of a young girl's friendship with a cat. And it's -- at last! -- a children's picture book featuring Native American characters where culture isn't the main theme. Of course, it's great to have accurate books that touch on Indian themes; however, they should be balanced with delightful stories like this one that depict daily life. Harjo's writing -- as always -- is wonderful and Paul Lee's lovely illustrations really capture feline personality.

As a Native American father of a two-year old and a four-year old, I often struggle to find material that presents being Indian as normal for my kids. Too often, books send the message that Indians are not normal and the things we do and wear are not normal. So I search hard for books that are culturally relevant and well-written. Our family favorite is Joy Harjo's The Good Luck Cat, which just makes Indian kids and Indian practices normal for once without even having to center it, as so many other kids' books with Indian characters do. Indian kids can connect with it in a natural way and Indian parents can feel good about it. Kids of other backgrounds ought to have this book in their collections, too, because they, too, need to understand that being an Indian kid is normal. And Harjo is a great author, so your kid will enjoy the story.

This story is a touching tale of pet ownership. The unnamed narrator shares her love for Woogie (the cat) with the reader, and expresses (in both words and pictures) a very real relationship between a child and a pet.

This story is sweet without being saccharine; emotional without being overly sentimental. Harjo's gift for poetry shows in the simple but expressive text ("My dad watched Woogie's seventh life fly by him as she ran after it"), and the warm paintings show the cat's expressions in a very real way.

Joy Harjo tells this story in a simply beautiful way. Wrapped in this cover are emotions and experiences that my daughter and I can joyfully follow together. I'm always glad when my child selects this as one of her bedtime stories.

Joy Harjo's The Good Luck Cat is a warm and touching, life-affirming story. I choked up when I read the ending--and everytime I relate it. My wife and I just promised a copy for our 5-year-old grandnephew and 3-year-old grandniece.

A cat shut in a car trunk and forgotten, a cat in a clothes dryer, a cat shot at by boys: these are not sweet scenarios to share with children. I found this to be a disturbing book full of careless violence to a living creature. While children's stories do not have to be filled with saccharine sugariness, they also do not need to contain uncaring episodes included for the purpose of telling a loosely constructed "story" detailing 9 ways for a cat to be killed. There are many good books available on children and their relationships with pets; this is not one of them.

My son brought this home from his school library and was extremely touched by this book. He is quite a sensitive child and when it comes to anyone or anything getting hurt he feels it. I initially thought he didn't want the book but I misread his reaction. I thought he was upset and didn't like the book. But, he kept saying "Order it off the internet, daddy". The page where Woogie gets chased by the boys with the BB gun has to be the most heart-wrenching page, next to where he goes missing but eventually shows up. And HOPEFULLY becomes an indoor cat!! From an engine fan, tumble dryer and boys with BB guns poor Woogie uses up his nine lives but this cat has 10!
A great book for natives and the rest of us (like my family).

This book is beautifully illustrated but I'm very disappointed with the content -- I bought it for my toddler daughter who loves cats, and it's completely inappropriate. It really is just a list of ways the cat has "lost lives", which includes getting her tail almost caught off by a motor, getting attacked by a dog so badly she needed stitches, and being shot and chased by kids with a BB gun. From the description I was expecting a much more lighthearted story about the relationship between a kid and her cat. The first page introducing the cat is lovely poetic imagery, but I have to agree with another reviewer that it's a disjointed story; really more a list of accidents that could really upset a sensitive young kid. I know if I read this to my daughter it would worry her and invite conversations about guns, violence, getting hit by cars, etc.

I gave it three stars for the gorgeous illustrations, and because perhaps an 8 year old would be able to see past the scary and dangerous situations the cat is constantly depicted in, but frankly, I don't know any kids who'd enjoy reading about a cat getting badly hurt over and over. And certainly to recommend it for 3-year-olds is nuts. I really wanted to like this book, but I will be returning it.

As a proponent of responisible pet ownership I find this book very disturbing. Cats DO NOT have nine lives and to continuously allow a "beloved" family pet meet with danger is horrible. I am a children's librarian in Philadelphia where this book was chosen as our "One Book One Philadelphia" selection for children. I will not be using it for any activities as I feel it promotes irresponsible pet care. While I was reading the book I just wanted to tell the child to keep her "beloved" cat indoors where it would be safe.

And, I can't see families sitting down for a cuddly storytime with this book. Sensitive children will be upset by the fear felt by the cat who runs into danger after danger. It would be useful to discuss better ways to care for family pets, but is not a book that can be enjoyed on any level.