Bad Kitty for President

April 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Bridging the gap between illustrated chapter book and graphic novel, Bad Kitty returns with a book perfectly timed for the upcoming election season. As usual, she's quite a bit of fun. After two terms, Old Kitty's presidency of the Neighborhood Cat Club is ending. When Bad Kitty learns of the powerful possibilities of the office, she decides to run. The story closely follows the timeline of a real election, including a primary, campaigning, and a debate-all in anticipation of engaging the electorate. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations splash across every page, merging with the text to set a lighthearted mood. There is a surprising amount of detail at times (527 committees for kids, anyone?), with Uncle Murray popping up to provide sections of in-depth facts. While this occasionally slows the pace and may go over some readers' heads, the goofy spirit remains intact. A glossary of election terms is humorously brought to life by the elderly Edna Prunelove. While there is no doubt that Bad Kitty for President will provide some good-old page-turning enjoyment, readers should come away with some election knowledge to boot.-Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades 3-5 With their trademark wit, Bruel and his bad Kitty are back. This time Kitty is running for president of the Neighborhood Cat Coalition. Old Kitty's two terms in office are up, and a successor is needed. Kitty agrees to run only because she is annoyed by all the strays in the neighborhood. From primaries to debate skills, from the impact of the media to voter registration, Bruel walks young readers through all the steps in the U. S. election process in text and black-and-white illustrations. All just in time for the 2012 elections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Kitty decides to run for president of the Neighborhood Cat Club and in the process learns how the American electoral process works. Kitty's usual insincerity and sarcasm are present along with Bruel's chunky cartoon illustrations in this dryly amusing if didactic story.