Cat Tales: True Stories of Kindness and Companionship With Kitties

ALINE ALEXANDER NEWMAN is a longtime contributor to National Geographic Kids magazine and a former teacher. She's a lifelong animal lover who has written more than 50 magazine stories about animals from dogs to cheetahs to dolphins. Her previous books for National Geographic include How to Speak Dog and How to Speak Cat, co-authored with Dr. Gary Weitzman; Ape Escapes! And More True Stories of Animals Behaving Badly; one of Amazon's picks for Best Children's Books of 2013, Lucky Leopards! And More True Stories of Amazing Animal Rescues; Rascally Rabbits! And more True Stories of Animals Beahving Badly; and Animal Superstars! And More True Stories of Animals with Amazing Talents.

Gr 4 Up—Twenty-two cat stories are grouped into five categories based on personality traits. For instance, Corduroy, a 26-year-old cat (120 in human years), and Bambi, a deaf cat who learned sign language, both fall under the category "Awesome." Kuli, the only known cat who surfs, is "Adventurous." "Hardworking" Nudge saved her owners from a house fire. "Caring" furball Monty monitors his owner for signs of a drop in blood sugar and has saved her from going into a diabetic coma more than once. These are just a few of the inspiring tales in this pocket-size tome. Each section also includes tidbits, "Just for Fun Facts," and additional information on how to care for felines. Photos of each cat along with other cute pictures are interspersed throughout. The end pages offer additional resources: videos and books as well as organizations that help cats. Cat lovers will rejoice. However, the tiny font is a downside. VERDICT A fun addition for the animal lovers, but collections that already own pet-related "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books or other similar series can skip.—Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio