Nick Bruel reunites the full cast of Bad Kitty characters--plus one significant addition--in this newest chapter book installment of the laugh-out-loud series. When Kitty's owners go off to bring home "a very special surprise," Uncle Murray reprises his role as pet-sitter. Kitty, of course, must misbehave, leading to Uncle Murray's latest Fun Facts: "Why Do Cats Climb Trees?"; "Why Do Cats Get Stuck in Trees?"; and the all-important "How Do You Get a Cat Back Down from a Tree?"
When the surprise finally arrives, Kitty can't figure out what it is. This sets up one of the funniest bits in the book, the "What the Heck Is that Thing?" game show with contestants who must guess its identity. We know, of course, that it's a baby. But readers will be amused to find that, while Kitty decides it's a dog, the neighborhood cats think it's a fellow feline and invite the baby to compete in the Pussycat Olympics. This leads to a temper tantrum of epic proportions.
As the dust settles, Kitty discovers that she and Baby have a lot in common. The ending is a soft-tackle of both adoption and sibling relationships, and the take-home lesson is that, while change can be scary, new friends are worth it. Bruel covers all the bases with a heart-warming, chuckle-inducing and slyly educational read. --Jenn Northington, event manager at WORD, Brooklyn, N.Y.