Fashion Kitty
Product Description
What if things had worked out a little differently for Cinderella? What if the evil stepmom wasn’t exactly horrible and the step sisters weren’t entirely evil? If all those things were true, would there still be a prince who falls for the lonely and sad maiden? For Lucy, the answer seems to be a resounding.no. When her father remarries, Lucy’s old life is turned upside down. She moves from her West Coast home to a suburb on Long Island and feels like a total outcast… More >>
Note: The zeros were cast by a troll and her gang, not real and decent people, and are against me personally and not the book or the review!
Underneath all my sweet librarian’s clothes and hairstyle lives a fire-breathing dragon, who was once a high school English teacher. The fire breath keeps shouting: “No graphic novels in this library! Make them read words!”
“But, Dragon,” I say, “I continue to find books like ‘Fashion Kitty,’ and
Babymouse #1: Queen of the World!, and crossovers (more words than pictures) like Race Across America (Geronimo Stilton). I simply must add them to the library!” And so I do–the “I” being the (occasionally) sweet librarian.
“Fashion Kitty” is adorable. Created by Charise Mericle Harper, the book contains two things dear to the hearts of most girls: kitties and fashion! The wonderful thing about Fashion Kitty (KiKi Kittie) is that she helps those in need of help in fashion.
It begins this way. On her birthday, through a series of complicated, fated maneuvers, Kiki is hit on the head by a shelf full of fashion books. This knock-out blow is compounded by the fact that Kiki and her free-thinking little sister, Lana, are allowed to dress how they want. Lana is a hoot, wearing pantyhose one day as a scarf, then as a belt the next. When Fashion Kitty needs a disguise she borrows the pantyhose to wear over her face (see cover). The importance of family–and a happy family–is emphasized.
Well, that’s enough of backstory. The second half shows Fashion Kitty helping two different girl kitties, one to avoid a fashion faux pas, the other to change an enemy into a friend. Obviously, one important theme is the importance of friendship.
The sketches are fairly simple (see cover), but colored in tints and shades of pink, gray, white, and black. Then there are eight full color, glossy pages which the reader cuts into thirds (as indicated by scissors) to flip through 24 outfits. Our school library has a Barbie book set up this way. Girls LOVE that book!
“Fashion Kitty” is a big hit in my library! The girls are clamoring for more Fashion Kitty. Great! More are on the way! Dragon tamed.
Rating: 5 / 5
My 5 year old is on her third time through this book. She has enjoyed looking at the pictures on her own and having the book read to her twice while she helps with some of the smaller words. It has been a great way to get her involved in reading. She can’t wait for the next Fashion Kitty book to come out!
Rating: 5 / 5
I purchased this book for my 8 year old daughter. Getting her to read can sometimes be a chore so I was thrilled when I showed her this book and she could not put it down. It’s funny for children and adults. She was chuckling to herself as she read. It’s great because the language is not too easy but there are pictures to break things up for her. One of the biggest adjustments for emergent readers is the lack of pictures and getting used to that concept. I wish there were more of these books to buy and can’t wait for another installment.
Rating: 5 / 5
I am a fourth grade teacher. My students love these books! They are great for kids who think they don’t like to read. I have had more students learn to love reading with Fashion Kitty and Jeff Smith’s Bone series.
Rating: 5 / 5
These graphic novels are a welcome addition for younger girls (K-3). My daughter likes these a lot. Fans of babymouse will also like Fashion Kitty!
Rating: 4 / 5