Fiona and the Peculiar Praise

By Rennie Dyball

The Cat Who Wanted More Than Cute

Meet Fiona, short for Queen Fiona of Apartment 4C. She's clever, brave, resourceful, and very, very helpful. Why then do her family and neighbors only praise her for her beauty? Fiona knows she is so much more than "pretty" and "cute"--she is smart and strong too.
Through playful adventures, Fiona and the Peculiar Praise reinforces for young readers that what matters more than our looks is who we are and what we do. Being appreciated for our actions, intelligence, and accomplishments is the type of praise that really matters to cats like Fiona--and kids like ours.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0829458778
• ISBN13: 9780829458770
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.2" x 10.2"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

This book looked cute, but wasn't the best.

So this book was ok. What started out as a cute cat read became annoying a few pages in, and while I get the idea of not just giving someone empty constant praise (that they don't necessarily deserve I might add) Fiona was no longer cute but rather entitled and downright bratty. In the end she sees her people do appreciate her, but she's still way too sassy for my taste. Not really a great example for kids to be reading. The illustrations were neatly done though, and had a watercolor quality to them that I liked. I loved the cover on this book too. The only other thing I'd mention content wise is a little girl's shorts were a bit too short in one picture. Otherwise the art was cute and eye-catching. :) I honestly don't recommend this read, because I could see kids picking up an attitude from this cat. Thanks to the publisher 4U2B Books & Media for the complimentary e-book I received to review through Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and the thoughts above are my own.