Life

10 Of The Sassiest Cats In Picture Book History

My favorite bag I ever received had the words "Books. Cats. Could Life Be Better?" on it, and it's totally true. Especially picture books featuring cats. Books about animals in general — no matter your age — are bound to be great, but especially picture books. Kids seem to love the feline friends of literature, and these 10 cats in picture books will definitely be a hit on your their bookshelves.

There's something about cats that just makes for a great kids' book. All cats are sassy in their own way, plus I firmly believe babies and toddlers are basically cats themselves. They all like shiny things, they all enjoy knocking things over and watching them fall, and they also enjoy putting things in their mouths and running away when you ask them what's in there. So of course, kids will love picture books with the sassiest cats because it's basically a story about them. While my kid is currently obsessed with every llama book known to man, I think I'll have to pick a few of these sassy cat picture books up at some point to change it up. Plus a few of these were my favorites when I was a kid, proving that the sassiest cats in picture book history know no age or decade.

1

Splat the Cat from 'Splat the Cat' by Rob Scotton

Splat the Cat is a sweet book about poor Splat's first day of school becoming a disaster, and it's pretty relatable to us all. Nobody's first day at kindergarten was a huge success, I'm sure. Especially if you're like Splat and bring your pet mouse to a school full of cats.

2

Stretchy McHandsome from 'Stretchy McHandsome' by Judy Schachner

Stretchy McHandsome will be published in October 2019, and I think you'll want to preorder this gem. It will make you laugh with his sassy cat antics, and make you cry when he realized he needs "his person," and he finds a little girl.

3

Garfield from 'Garfield at Large' by Jim Davis

I was O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with Garfield when I was growing up. We read all the comics, the books, and even watched the TV show. My family had those '80s Garfield toys that stuck to your car windows, so of course I have to include the sassiest cat of all cats, Garfield, on my list. I, too, hate Mondays and love lasagna. I wonder how much of that is personal preference or if I was molded at a young age by this fat, sassy feline.

4

The Cat in the Hat from 'The Cat in the Hat' Series by Dr. Seuss

I know I said this about Garfield, but you also can't have an article about sassy cats without mentioning the famous Cat in the Hat from The Cat in the Hat series by Dr. Seuss. Of course this cat is like most cats — mischievous and getting into trouble while the parents aren't home. Kids will love the antics Sally, her brother, and The Cat get into in this rhyming story.

5

Pete the Cat from the 'Pete the Cat' Series by Eric Litwin & James Dean

Pete the Cat is a fantastic character loved by every child I know. The entire series is amazing, but the very first book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, may just be my absolute favorite. This sing-songy story about Pete's white shoes changing color as he walks down the street without a care shows just how sassy Pete is. What a "cool cat."

6

Niblet & Ralph from 'Niblet & Ralph' by Zachariah OHora

In a Parent-Trap-esque story, Niblet & Ralph is the tale about two cats who look alike, but are oh-so-different. Will they be able to get back to their own homes and humans, or are they trapped in each other's lives forever?

7

Cookie from 'Cookie's Week' by Cindy Ward & Tomie dePaola

With simple and repetitive text, your kids will truly enjoy reading about sassy Cookie in Cookie's Week, and the feisty feline's lovable antics that are extreme cat-mood.

8

Tiny, Moonpie, & Andre from 'There Are Cats in This Book' by Viviane Schwarz

There Are Cats In This Book is an incredibly fun, interactive pop-up and lifting-flaps book that you and your kid will enjoy. Plus Tiny, Moonpie, and Andre are so sassy and fun, you'll want to read it again and again because they invite you to play their games, and they need some help from you to dry off from some of their sassy cat antics.

9

Chester from 'Chester' by Melanie Watt

I am obsessed with this cat. Chester from the self-titled book Chester, which he apparently wrote parts of himself, is definitely indicative of just how sassy this feline is. In somewhat of a dueling pianos type format, author Melanie Watt and Chester battle it out over who is really writing this story about a mouse in the house.

10

Mr. Pusskins from 'Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story' by Sam Lloyd

Mr. Pusskins in Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story is your typical butthead cat. He doesn't like any normal cat activities like mousing, snuggling, or being read to (I mean maybe someone's cat out there likes being read to, I don't know). He wants to go on adventures on the outside like most cats do, and this story shows how sometimes everything you need and want is right under your nose.