Review: This book is all about a family that finds a kitten under their couch when cleaning, They have always wanted a child and so they adopt this kitten and raise it as if it is a person. They buy her clothes and celebrate her birthday. She hates following rules though and has a hard time playing with others. When she finds out one of her friends is going to school she decides she wants to go as well. When she goes to school she hates following rules and gets into a bunch of trouble.

Uses: I would use this book to ask children the importance of following rules. I also would use it as a fun book that could start our own book projects. I believe it would be fun to have all the kids draw a picture of their pet or favorite animal in clothes and then write their own story about what happens when they go to school.

Genre: This book is a fantasy book because it is about a cat that can talk and her adventures when she goes to school.

Media: Oil on Vellum

Mr. and Mrs. Portly have been wanting a baby. Instead they get a precious little kitten. They name her Minifred and raise her just like a little girl. She wears clothes, reads, and sings. Only Minifred doesn't like to follow the rules. When her best friend, Olivia, goes off to school, Minifred decides to go too. Unfortunately, school has lots of rules, and Minifred breaks all of them. According to the principal's copy of The Big Rule Book, 'ALL students must obey all the rules.' Will Minifred have to leave school? Are kittens even allowed in school? Check out this cute picture book to find out.

The Bottom Line: "Minifred Goes to School" is a charming, fantastical tale about a talking kitten who was raised like a little girl, but behaves like the cat she really is. It's a fun picture book for kids going to school for the first time or getting ready to go back to school. Children will enjoy Gerstein's colorful illustrations too. Recommended for kids in grades Pre-K - 2. It's also a humorous pick for story hour.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog: http://minibookbytes.blogspot.com/ ( )

Minifred is kitten who was raised as a human and attempts to go to school. Minifred adjusts fine because she does exactly what she has done all along: not follow any rules. Gerstein emphasizes the importance of being comfortable with who you are through Minifred and asks the question "Who makes the rules and why?" The illustations are bright and full of motion, reflecting what the text has to say. This book could be used to show younger readers the importance of confidence and that rules should be questioned as often as they are followed.

Minifred the cat is no ordinary cat. She talks and does things just as if she were human. She told her parents that she wanted to go to school, so her parents enrolled her. However, she didn't understand why she had to follow rules. Turns out that the "Big Rule Book" had some tiny fine print that said that kittens must do exactly as they like. A very cute book that is sure to get a few laughs out of children. ( )