Scaredy Cat [Hardcover]

Joan Rankin (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Scaredy Cat, a young kitten who is afraid of everything all the time, discovers that he possesses courage and bravery that he never knew he had after a confrontation with a tiny spider.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Both visually and verbally, Rankin's (The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman) work calls to mind Gahan Wilson-she shares his genius for conveying and mollifying the free-floating nature of childhood anxiety. Combining delicately textured yet warmly hued watercolors with exaggerated typography that literally magnifies her subject's fears, Rankin masterfully captures the vulnerability of her protagonist, a puffball of a kitten who is frightened of just about everything. The kitten's mother, Mama Meow, tries to offer comfort by explaining that scary things are seldom what they seem: a "Screaming Sucking Monster" is just a vacuum cleaner, a "Giant" is just the shadow of the cats' kindly owner, Auntie B. But the kitten discovers his own sense of courage only when he delivers a decisive "bonk" to an "eensie-weensie" spider. That the "spider" is actually the nose of Auntie B.'s dog is a comic twist that children are certain to love. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-Scaredy Cat, a fat, fluffy kitten, is threatened, in turn, by a giant, 2 crocodiles, 10 wiggly thingamajigs, a sucking monster, and a hairy forest. She runs to Mama Meow, who soothes her with explanations: it's only Auntie B.'s shadow, the woman's reptile-leather shoes, her hands in pink rubber gloves, her vacuum cleaner, and her big dog. Scaredy Cat leaps to Auntie B.'s lap and hides in her knitting. From there she thinks she sees an eensie-weensie spider, actually the dog's whiskered nose, and bops it hard with her paw, driving him away in fright and surprise and gaining for herself the name of Tiger Cat. Double-page spreads of cartoon shapes in soft watercolors and seen from various angles are full of life and personality. The simple text is printed declaratively in all sizes of type from huge to tiny to express the story more effectively. A funny read-aloud for the timid and not so timid alike.
Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689809484
• ISBN-13: 978-0689809484
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,676,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scaredy Cat, May 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Scaredy Cat (Aladdin Picture Books) (Audio Cassette)

This story is great for the pre-k age group. My daughter was delighted with the amusing tale and the manner in which it is told. She can listen to it over and over again!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great "read aloud book" for librarians, November 18, 2008

By 

K. Boscarino - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scaredy Cat (Library Binding)

This is one of my favorite books to read aloud. I have been reading it to the younger grades for almost 10 years now. They never tire of it and even the 6th graders beg me to read it to them.

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable book with adorable pictures!, March 19, 2008

By 

Beth L. Herzbrun (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scaredy Cat (Hardcover)

My daughter and I have read this book over and over. It is a wonderful book designed to help children face their fears in an endearing and humorous way. The pictures are adorable. This book ends with a cute surprise!!