The Cat's Meow (Mass Market Paperback)

by Gary Soto (Author) "One Saturday morning Pip, our cat, came inside the house, looked at her empty bowl, and said, "Quiero mas, Graciela..." (more)
Key Phrases: talking cat

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-Third grader Graciela is shocked when her white cat, Pip, starts speaking to her in Spanish. She has to deal with the situation by herself since her parents are seriously strange (maybe "because they're parents") and a friend from school thinks she's loca. So Graciela asks Pip to tell her her story and this feline does-in Spanish, which is translated in footnotes at the bottom of each page. It seems that Pip was befriended by an eccentric kindly neighbor who taught her Spanish (and several other languages). The details (perhaps involving earphones) remain a secret between Se?or Medina and Pip, but Graciela enjoys her new talking cat and her new friend. Unfortunately, a gossipy neighbor alerts the media and Se?or Medina is hounded into moving away with Pip. Graciela is devastated until her pet returns, now black and speaking French. On one level, this is a charming animal fantasy that is engaging and entertaining, with a sprinkling of Spanish words and a believable heroine. However, readers are sure to be distracted by concern for Graciela's parents, who repeatedly act irrationally, misunderstand what she says, and speak in nonsequitors. Soto's intended effect isn't clear (is it an attempt at humor? a child's perspective of how parents act?), and compromises the success of the book.
Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-5. Unconventional in more ways than one, this chapter book gives primary-grade readers their first taste of magic realism when Graciela's cat, Pip, begins speaking in Spanish. Pip plays a cagey game for a while, alternating Spanish words with "meow," until Graciela becomes thoroughly frustrated--by the cat and by the uncomprehending humans in whom she confides. Most authors would simply settle for a talking-animal story, but Soto creates a world that is slightly bizarre and surreal. Adult readers may find this more off-putting than will kids, for whom the adult world probably often does seem strange. What some children may balk at are the asterisked Spanish words in the text, which Soto defines at the bottom of the page. Others will relish both the chance to pick up a few foreign phrases and the fanciful story. Susan Dove Lempke

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590470027
• ISBN-13: 978-0590470025
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #623,512 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Strange book, April 24, 2009

By	MOMofTwo "ME" (Granite Bay, CA) - See all my reviews

My first grader was assigned to read this book. I was so glad that I did not let my child read this alone. What a terrible book! A little girl who is neglected by her parents runs off to a neighbor's house without telling her parents where she is going. She befriends a man who apparently lives alone and enters his house upon meeting him!!! Then they share a secret! Ok, so the secret is a talking cat but the fact is sharing a secret with an adult male is such a strange plot. Maybe this irritates me so because of what we have been watching on the news. The only good thing we got out of this book is the fact that I talked to my children about how terrible it was and why. I did write to the school and asked that the administrators read it for themselves. Do not let your children read this book alone!