This entertaining tale is a tribute to animal rescue shelters -- and to literacy. The narrator is in the midst of an intense campaign to get a cat; we read that there have been 427 days of fervent pleas. The boy agrees to conditions -- including a commitment to reading daily, even though reading is a challenge -- and is allowed to choose a cat from the shelter. Max turns out to be aloof and troublesome. But just as the family is about to return this "negative" cat to the shelter, the narrator unlocks the key to Max's affection: reading to him. Later, the boy comes to the shelter to read to all the cats, and then his entire class does, too. The many eye-catching details in Blackall's fine-lined illustrations invite close inspection; for instance, readers will notice the narrator's mother sharing Wenzel's They All Saw a Cat at bedtime, and later Max becomes enthralled with Gag's Millions of Cats. Blackall expertly captures body language and extracts a lot of humor from the surly cat, especially when comparing him to the animated pet-owner: we see the child attempt to connect ("I tell him all my best jokes. He doesn't even smile"); the cat is shown with his back to readers, staring at the wall or rudely putting his tail in a stick of butter. As a result, it's immensely rewarding to see the connection that occurs when the boy starts to read (and to enjoy it!) and Max crawls closer to cuddle. A positive and satisfying tale. Julie Danielson January/February 2022 p.78(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Ugh! I'm not so great at reading!" confesses the cat enthusiast who narrates this story by Caldecott Medalist Blackall (If You Come to Earth). Having persuaded their family to adopt a feline "on Day 427 of asking for a cat," the brown-skinned child promises to care for the animal and read for 20 minutes each day as part of the deal. But "words only make sense when I read them out loud slowly," and Maximilian August Xavier, the orange-striped cat from the shelter, proves utterly devoid of charm--a negative cat. While classmates' felines perform all manner of tricks, Max "stares at the wall" and "leaves hairballs on the rug, his tail in the butter, and poop in the vestibule." The family complains, and a consultation with a shelter worker is arranged. In a sweetly suspenseful sequence, the narrator discovers that reading--"slowly. Out loud. The only way I know how"--is the key to Max's heart. In dusty blues and greens, oranges and pinks, digital artwork "superimposed on the reverse side of vintage wallpaper" dials in on the interracial family's dynamics and facial expressions. (Scorn demonstrated by the child's older sibling is particularly vivid: "We should've gotten a dog," they mutter, busy with nail polish.) Max is, of course, adorable, and the discovery that reading to animals can benefit both the children who read and the animals who listen is the story's hidden treasure. Ages 4--8. Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Aug.)

After begging his family for a cat, a boy finally gets his way--on the condition that he do certain chores and work on his reading, which he struggles with. A trip to the animal shelter leads him to a rotund orange tabby, whom he names Max. All of the boy's enthusiasm bounces off Max, though, and soon the family realizes that this cat is "kind of negative." The family turns on Max, who only seems to bring distress, and as they prepare to return him to the shelter, they find the boy reading out loud--overcoming his difficulties--with Max cuddling up to him, listening attentively, and their hearts are turned. Blackall based her concept on a true story of shelter cats warming up to reading children. Her illustrations, "created digitally and superimposed on the reverse side of vintage wallpaper salvaged from a falling-down house," have a charmingly old-school feel, deepened by the dull-toned color palette and design choices. A touching story that adds depth to the usual sweet humor of cat books.

Sometimes things aren't what they seem at first. A child with brown skin has been asking for a cat for 427 days! His family finally says yes if he agrees to certain conditions, including reading every day. Uh-oh; reading is not this child's favorite activity. When the cat arrives, he reveals his true personality--gloomy. He won't play, listen to jokes, or fetch. What's worse, he leaves a hairball on the carpet, poops in the vestibule, and stares at the wall. What's even worse is that the kid's parents point out their unmet conditions. What to do? Well, as it turns out, what the cat likes best is what the child likes least--reading. An unusual cat for sure. Set against brown-paper backgrounds, the illustrations feature muted tones of orange, pink, blue, and green. Attention has been paid to portraying a variety of skin tones, from lighter beige to deeper brown, both within the protagonist's interracial family and among his friends; however, the mother's facial features lack consistency. Varying compositions in the spreads adds to the tension and resolution of the story. Understated text brings a dry sense of humor to the child's plight even if the interactions between the child and the family seem at times a bit adversarial. An author's note describes the true event on which this story is based and offers readers ideas on how they can go read to animals. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A humorous tale in which everyone gets what they want--even a negative cat! (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.