*Review* What if I'm Not a Cat by Kari-Lynn Winters

 

Genre: Children's 4-7

Published: June 6, 2023

Pages: 32

A sweet, playful story about identity - and what it means to belong.

Why, of course Donkey’s a cat. He spends all his time with the other cats on the farm. He licks his fur and pounces, just like they do. He even cuddles with them at nap time. Though, he must admit, sometimes he does feel … a little off. So, when Farmer says to him, “Donkey, you’re acting like a cat!” it gets him thinking. What if he’s not a cat? And if not, then what is he? Will going off on his own help Donkey figure out what he is and where he belongs?

Award-winning author Kari-Lynn Winters’s delightful story of self-discovery uses kid-perfect hilarity to deliver the message that every individual has something unique to offer to their community. The contrast between Donkey and his cat friends makes for laugh-out-loud silliness in Kelly Collier’s endearing and amusing art (ever seen a Donkey perch on a fence post?). Pages are filled with spot illustrations, speech bubbles and action words that keep the visual appeal high. Sure to be a story-time crowd-pleaser, this picture book could easily spark discussions about identity, fitting in and belonging. It also works well for character education lessons on adaptability, inclusiveness, initiative and caring.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a cute little story about a donkey who thinks it's a cat. As a human who has a dog that thinks she's a cat, this story hit close to home. It's easy to see why Donkey would believe they're a cat. They live in the barn with all of the cats after all. In the end, Donkey realizes they can still be part of the group without being exactly the same. 

The illustrations were colorful and whimsical, showing Donkey doing all the cat things. They were definitely fun to look and made me giggle a bit. For that reason, I would definitely be okay reading this book a few times. Overall I give What If I'm Not a Cat 4.3 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Kari-Lynn Winters is an award-winning children's author, playwright, performer and academic scholar. An experienced teacher of writing, she has worked with students across Canada and the United States and is a professor at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Kelly Collier has been drawing since she was little and has studied illustration in college. She is the author-illustrator of two picture books, A Horse Named Steve and Team Steve, and the illustrator of Sloth and Squirrel in a Pickle. Kelly lives in Toronto, Ontario.