When the Silliest Cat Was Small (Hardcover)

by Gilles Bachelet (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A companion to the breakout hit My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, chronicling the silliest cat’s younger years

The only thing cuter than a cat is a kitten, and the only thing cuter than a kitten is Gilles Bachelet’s remarkable kitten—who is actually an enormous elephant!

After being chosen from a litter of other brightly colored elephants, Gilles’s kitten must acclimate himself to his new home. Just like in the first book, the kitten behaves like a kitten should: making a mess, hiding from his food bowl, and waging a war with a particularly tricky stuffed animal. Readers will fall in love again with Bachelet’s funny and affectionate drawings of his highly unusual “cat.”

About the Author
Gilles Bachelet was born in 1952 in Saint Quentin, Aisne, France. After some training in art in college, he began illustrating for magazines and other press outlets. Ever since then he has been a professional illustrator. For five years, Gilles has taught illustration at the Ecole Supérieure d’Art in Cambrai, France.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810994151
• ISBN-13: 978-0810994157
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #686,942 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Just plain Weird, January 5, 2009

By	donalyn (Maryland) - See all my reviews

Okay, maybe I missed something by starting with this book instead of the first, but the cat/elephant thing is just odd. Very odd.
And this coming from a children's picture book lover and writer. This one is a pass for us. The pictures of the elephant are cute, though.

3.0 out of 5 stars Could be confusing to younger kids, December 20, 2007

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Samuel Peralta (age 6) for Reader Views (12/07)

I liked the story "When the Silliest Cat Was Small." When I read the title, I thought the story was about a cat, but it is not. In the story, a man wants to adopt a cat, but he really adopts an elephant. The elephant gets into lots of trouble. He makes a mess while taking a bath, gets bored easily, and does not like to sleep. At first, I was confused, because the man does not know he adopted an elephant, but after reading it again I thought it was funny and silly. I like the pictures. They made me laugh. I would recommend this book to my friends.

Parent's Note: At first, this story was a bit confusing. You keep expecting for the man to realize that his adopted pet is not a cat. That never happens. We read this story to Sammy three times. The first time he just had a blank expression. The other two times he enjoyed the pictures and thought the story was silly. It's a cute concept, but a bit out of the reach for young readers-- especially since the author never acknowledges what is obvious. Younger children will be confused and older kids will pause and enjoy it after a second read.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the most creative, best picturebooks to cross our shelf in quite some time, December 3, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Gilles Bachlelet's cat is unusual - actually, it's an elephant... thus begins the fun story of a playful elephant as viewed by an owner who tries to understand him. 'Kitty' is adapting to his new home in strange ways after being chosen from a litter of other brightly colored elephants: he makes a mess, hides from food, and treats a toy with disdain. This is one of the most creative, best picturebooks to cross our shelf in quite some time, and deserves a prime place in any library.