Review also posted on my blog: https://bennilovesbooks.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/arc-review-the-cat-encyclopedia...

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was the kind of kid who would read cat encyclopedias from cover-to-cover multiple times because of my love of cats, so the fact that this book caught my eye is not at all surprising. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations for a number of reasons, and I didn't finish it with the best impression.

I largely didn't like the book because of ethical reasons. This book described a handful of cat breeds in detail, and then after each one told the reader that the best place to get these particular cats was through breeders and pet stores, and it had an "elitist" air around it when it came to mentioning animal shelters. This book had a large bend towards cat show culture, and while there's nothing wrong with describing breeds of cats based on show requirements, it was rather uncomfortable reading someone tell a targeted 9 to 12-year-old audience that they should be buying cats instead of adopting them because purebred cats are superior and are "less likely to have health problems" when the likelihood of a 9 to 12-year-old actually being able to show their pet cats in a show is extremely low. With the overpopulation of shelters as it is, we shouldn't be teaching kids that shelter animals are inferior to purebred ones when that flat-out isn't true.

Additionally, the book had an incorrect definition of de-clawing, stating that it "either remove[s] part of the claw or keep[s] a cat from retracting the claw" when the actual act of declawing removes part of the cat's fingers. While the book says that organizations "disapprove" of de-clawing it doesn't actually take a firm stance against it, and the misleading definition of de-clawing can lead people into believing that de-clawing isn't as harmful as it is. Note that this is the text from the ARC and not the final copy and this is something that I hope gets fixed in the final text, but it's a large concern of mine.

The pictures are really beautiful and did make me smile -- the book is FILLED with large, colorful pictures of adorable cats, and they by themselves are delightful.

The pictures in this book are worth looking at for cat lovers, but the writing wasn't very engaging and left me concerned about the motivations behind writing the text. It's not the worst book I've ever read, but I would advise approaching it with caution.

Final rating: 2.5 of 5 stars ( )

Due out March 1, 2018

Thanks to Netgalley and Capstone for providing me with this ARC to read and provide my honest review.

Description

For Ages: 9-12

Do you have cat-titude? Learn the history, behaviors, physical traits, and special characteristics of cat breeds including Siamese, Persian, American Shorthair, Abyssinian, Maine Coon, and many more. Filled with fun facts and charming photographs, this guidebook gives cat lovers and owners an in-depth look at some furry feline friends. Charming photographs, fun facts, and hands-on pet care tips make this is the ultimate cat-alogue!
Author Bio:

After working as an editor for several major children’s book publishers, Joanne Mattern became the author of numerous nonfiction books for kids. She especially loves writing about animals, sports, and interesting people and places.

Available Editions
EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781623709372
PRICE $14.95 (USD)

MY BOOK REVIEW:

Just the photos alone are adorable. This book shares information on twelve cat breeds. Included is a description of the breed, its origins, care and personality and whether it would be a good choice for you. Accompanying this are fantastic photo. In these photos, you can see the cat’s personality. They are colorful and beautiful.

If you love cats, this book is definitely for you. If you’ve always been curious about them, pick up this book and read it. Although it’s suppose to be for middle-grade readers, I think adults can benefit from it too. My only complaint, is that there should have been more photos.

Excellently researched, with additional material at the back of the book.
I loved this book, its topic and lay-out! ( )

The Cat Encyclopedia For Kids by Joanne Mattern is book for all ages, not just kids! This has about everything you would ever want to know about cats. The book doesn't go into detail about all 42 distinct cat breeds recognized by Cat Fanciers' Association but it does a fine job of the 12 most popular cat breeds it does cover!
It also gives some great fun tips along the way such as cats can see color! What do you call a group of cats that are gathered together? Which cats were called 'mousers'? Which cats are called 'race car cats'? Which cats like to play fetch? Which cats were called British Ticks? These and other fun tidbits are given.
Each cat breed has its history told and maybe a myth or two debunked. Then the body traits (such as body, color, shape, size), personality, care needed, and of course then the gorgeous images of the feline friends! I can't express enough how wonderful these images are, they make a person want to snuggle all of these charmers up.
If you ever wanted to know about cats, look no further, this is an excellent book to get started. In the end of the book is a brief description of other cat breeds. This may say for kids but adults will love this book as much if not more!
I requested this book from Netgalley and the book publishers and the review is voluntary. Thanks. ( )