Bad Kitty School Daze

Bad Kitty School Daze
by Nick Bruel
Recommended Ages: 9+

Kitty and Puppy are raising too much of a ruckus for a house with a baby in it, so they get sent to an obedience school that is ridiculously (or strangely) like a pre-kindergarten for human pups. Their school day includes a bus ride, art projects, a talent show, storytime and more, all featuring a wacky cast of pets with issues – from the bulldog who hates cats (but believes it when Kitty says "Moo!") to the bunny who craves world domination.

Alternating with informative lessons about the differences between cats and dogs, the story provides laughs, information about pets and maybe a subtle message about getting along with other small humans, perhaps to take the fear out of going to preschool. The art is comic-strip cute with a zest of gross-out humor, surprises, charm and a kid-friendly dose of irony.

This graphic novella is about the eighth book in the long-running "Bad Kitty" series by the picture book author of Boing!, Poor Puppy and many more. This review is based on, believe it or not, an advance reader's edition that I obtained second-hand. Obviously. I mean, the book's been out since about 2013.