Customer Reviews

That Darn Cat

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'The decision came through from the top. Darn Cat henceforth would be listed in the card index and all reports as Informant X-14. Under the anonymous cloak of X-14, his identity would be held secret for all time, and no one, except those actually working the case, would know that he was of a species other than human...'
-Passage from "That Darn Cat", also published as "Undercover Cat"-

Two bank robbers Dan and Sammy while on a bank job take Helen Jenkins, a middle-aged bank teller. The FBI are stumped and have no leads to catching the crooks. But fortunately, after so long they finally have a lead. But not the kind of lead they, or for that matter, anyone would ever expect. The Randall children, 23-year-old model Patti, 16-year-old Ingrid, and 12-year-old Mike are left alone for the summer while their parents are on vacation. Their cat, Darn Cat (or D.C. as he is called), comes home one night wearing a watch. After a close look, they realize that it is the watch which Ms. Jenkins had been wearing when she had been kidnapped! Informing the FBI, the Bureau sends in Zeke Kelso, to use the cat to lead them to the bank robbers. But nothing goes exactly the way Zeke expects it, too. Snoopy neighbors, D.C.'s mood changes, and a short tempered neighbor stand in the way but everyone knows that time is running out for them...

A totally funny yet suspenseful book, the Gordons certainly have written a book which kept my interest. Not only does the story is read through the people's eyes, we also get to go through the story through the eyes of D.C.! The Gordons imagine what cats think so well that you can almost believe that they had help from a cat to write the book! I love all of the characters, mostly of Patti, Zeke, and Ingrid. I mostly recommend this book to for teenagers and adults, not so much for kids younger than 12 or so.

This book was also originally published under another title, "Undercover Cat". There's also a must read sequel, "Undercover Cat Prowls Again", which I recommend. There is also the terrific Disney movie version of "That Darn Cat" with an impressive cast of Hayley Mills, Dean Jones, Frank Gorshin, Elsa Lanchester, Roddy McDowall, and Ed Wynn. It's very different from the book, changed to make it more a family film. It's hilariously funny and in my opinion my favorite Hayley Mills movie besides "The Parent Trap".

I bought this book to read with a class of 6th grade English Language Learners. I am a substitute teacher. The book was exactly as I remembered it as a child, I last read it when I was about 10 or 11. I read it with this class as a year end special activity (we watched the movie at the end of the week)
For a young reader, the book is not difficult and very enjoyable especially if they already understand the nature and personality of a Siamese Cat.
Buy the book and the movie together for a great read and extremely funny movie.