Top Cat

by Lois Ehlert

Book Overview

Teacher's name inside front cover This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152017399
• ISBN13: 9780152017392
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.4" x 12.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Part of the story is missing, as usual

Overall, an enjoyable, humorous story from a great author and illustrator. However, I'd like to see animal loving authors and illustrators include in their work the promotion of responsible, ethical ownership, and--in this case--the difference between indoor and outdoor cats. Outdoor cats are killers of birds. Saying "they only hunt rodent pests," or "most birds get away," or "it's just what cats do" is ignorance or denial. Outdoor cats are an invasive species and major predators of birds. It is a myth that somehow they hunt only rodent pests. Would cat lovers accept the maiming and destruction of their cats by free roaming dogs--the same treatment their outdoor cats inflict on birds?

Shows a complete understanding of cats!

I am not always a fan of this author's books, but in this case, she succeeds completely! This is the story of a cat who is king of his home, but who suddenly has to deal with a new kitten moving in. The cat reacts exactly how a cat would, and I can say that from having witnessed this kind of situation many times! At first there is fighting, but before long, the Top Cat gets down to the business of showing the kitten what cats do---leaving hair all over the couch, sneaking outside to scare birds and, this one is brilliant, drinking water from the faucet when there is company visiting! Cats always do the thing that will upset non-cat-lovers when they have that kind of audience. The pictures are lively and interesting, and there are little words showing the sounds that are going on in each picture. I loved the cover even, with the toy mouse hanging from the Top Cat's mouth. As a side note, my 4 year old is autistic and rarely likes books unless she's had them around for months. However, she liked this one from the start. We read it about 10 times yesterday, and she liked it more each time. I think the pictures had the right combination of detail and simplicity, and we have cats, so she related!

A Child's Favorite!

"Read Top Cat, Mommie!" is what I hear every night now. It's simply my 3 ½ year-old daughter's favorite book. The story of Top Cat, a bored black and white cat, whose sleepy existence is interrupted when a striped kitten arrives from the animal shelter. Top Cat entertains with appealing rhymes, realistic cat behavior (but nothing too scary for a child!), and creative artwork that seems to be made up of overlaid paper cuts. I think my daughter likes how Top Cat first fights with the kitten, but then plays with him, teaching him all sorts of "naughty" kitty behavior - dancing on the table, eating plants, drinking from the faucet, etc. At the end, the two cats are best buds, and that's what counts. A great lesson.

Great lesson & adorable!

I am a preschool teacher and my kids love this book. When I first read it I was reminded of my own two cats, and then I realized what a great lesson it would be for my class. The cats do some funny things in it as the older cat teaches the younger cat all the "tricks of the trade"...so it is humorous as well as teaching acceptance and love.

Clever book for siblings

I purchased Top Cat along with a book called Julius, The Baby of the World after reading a list of books that deal well with sibling rivalry issues. Although Top Cat is about cats rather than humans, I am far more impressed with this book than I am with Julius. There was so much negative behavior in Julius that I am afraid to read it to my 3 1/2 year old. Top Cat's strength here is the feline subjects. The book gives children an outlet for some of their own emotions without doing so in an overt way. Having four cats in my household and knowing exactly what they are capable of, I was not at all disturbed by the book's portrayal of cats.

Best Book Ever (according to my son)

My 10 month old son does not want to read any other book except Top Cat. He tries petting the cats on the pages. He is in love with this book. I have to order another copy as our first is almost destroyed.As another reviewer said, Top Cat does include some violence (where one cat defends its territory), but ends with friendship and acceptance. If you've owned cats, its very realistic on how an established cat would treat a new cat.