Story Time with Sara: The Best Cat in the World by Leslea Newman

 

The Best Cat in the World 
written by Leslea Newman
published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2006

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book: Yes, but it was certainly NOT what I was expecting from the title. The fact that we picked this gem up at the local library is due exclusively to its proximity to my book-grabbing self (and the fact that there’s a cat on the cover), but this book has quite a bit to offer!

So it turns out this is actually a children’s book that deals with the death of a pet. I figured this out about a page and a half in, and I immediately panicked and wondered how exactly my three-year-old was going to react. It turns out it was really a wonderful experience for both of us. It got a really tough conversation started and he wasn’t scared and I wasn’t anxious. I got to know a little more about what goes on inside that cute little head, all because of this book!

It turns out that this was actually purr-fect (see what I did there) for us because we lost one of our cats about a year ago and got a new one. We even buried our late kitten’s ashes under some beautiful lily plants–just like the boy in the story does. After reading this book we talked about  our own cat, Lily. We got out pictures and talked about the good memories we had with Lily. Then we talked about how Mouse (our new cat) is different from Lily and how they are both the “Best” cats in the world because we love them and they love us!

Would I recommend it: I really would recommend this book. However, I would caution you to be ready for the heady discussions that are going to start because of it. It caught me off guard, but I think I pulled it off. Turns out my kid really liked the story, and I hope he learned something. I know I learned a little more about him. If you’re looking to ease the transition of a pet or just interested in bringing up the topic, this book is a great way to do it!

About the book – from Goodreads: A young boy deals with the loss of his beloved cat Charlie, eventually accepting the arrival of another, very different cat.