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Not a Cat

a memoir
3.83 goodreads logo

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( 149 ratings, 50 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Not a Cat by Winter Miller is a delightful children's book about a curious creature named Gato who doesn't quite fit the typical definition of a cat. Gato embarks on an adventurous journey to discover his true identity. Through playful encounters with various animals, he navigates themes of self-acceptance and individuality in a fun and engaging way.
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Format: Hardback
$3599
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this delightful children’s book if you are looking for a fun and engaging story that explores themes of identity and self-acceptance. Through playful illustrations and a heart-warming tale, it encourages children to embrace their unique selves and be open to endless possibilities. Perfect for young readers who love whimsical adventures and charming characters.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Winner 2023 Children's Book Council Award - Kindergarten to 2nd grade

A funny, expansive, affirming story with a powerful message of self-determination for young kids: No one can label us if we do not allow ourselves to be labeled. Our identities are ours to choose and to live.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Between his opening greeting and the bookend closing page on which he stalks away after taking no questions, Gato wants to make one thing perfectly clear: Although he has four legs, two ears, and a long, long tail, the word cat does not define him. His identity is his alone to describe and determine.

With the help of Danica Novgorodoff's laugh-out-loud illustrations, he takes us on a tour of his adventures, accomplishments, and daily activities that makes mincemeat of our first impressions. He wears a sweater and a leash, so is he a dog? He runs in pastures, so is he a horse? He likes flowers, so is he a bee? He swims, so is he a duck? He has flown in aeroplanes and ridden in subways, so is he a person? Maybe he's all those things, but what he truly is, he wants us to know, is Gato.

To underline the story's message of empowerment and self-identity, the back cover and backmatter include photos of the real Gato (Winter Miller's cat) doing everything he claims and more. Signs on walls, headlines in newspapers, New Yorker cartoon homages, and sight gags on every page reward repeated readings and will make this book the first one that parents reach for at bedtime.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Not a Cat by Winter Miller has received praise for its humour, engaging narrative, and delightful illustrations. The story of Gato, a cat with a unique self-identity, has been commended for its underlying message about self-determination and acceptance, resonating with both children and adults. The book combines fun adventures with Gato's introspective journey as he questions labels, celebrating diversity and individuality.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780884488798

Publisher: Tilbury House,U.S.

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 30 September 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Tilbury House,U.S.

Illustration: full color

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Danica Novgorodoff

Audience: Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 239.0mm

Height: 290.0mm

Weight: 491g

About the Author

Winter Miller is a playwright whose published plays include No One Is Forgotten, In Darfur, and The Penetration Play. She has written for The New York Times, New York Magazine, and The Boston Globe, and her plays and essays appear in multiple anthologies. Winter was previously a journalist in the editorial department of The New York Times, at Fox News, and at Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. She has been profiled in The New Yorker, Bomb, and on NPR’s Brian Lehrer Show and All of It with Alison Stewart. Not a Cat, Winter’s first picture book, is the story lived by her extraordinary cat Gato. Learn more about Winter and Gato at www.wintermiller.com. Danica Novgorodoff is an artist, writer, and graphic novelist from Brooklyn, NY and Louisville, KY. Her graphic novel Long Way Down (Atheneum; adapted from Jason Reynolds’ novel) received starred reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, BCCB, and Booklist, the latter saying this: “Far more than just an illustration of the events of the novel, Novgorodoff’s iteration powerfully cultivates the tone and mood of its source material, demonstrating just how effective and artful comics can be.” Her other graphic novels include The Undertaking of Lily Chen, Refresh Refresh, and Slow Storm from Macmillan, and the self-published A Late Freeze. Her art and writing have been published in MoMA Magazine, Best American Comics, The Believer, Artforum, Esquire, VQR, Slate, Orion, Seneca Review, Ecotone Journal, The Arkansas International, and others. Danica’s works in progress include a graphic novel on climate change (MacMillan, in collaboration with journalist Meera Subramanian), a children’s book on the explorer Alexander von Humboldt (Penguin Random House), and a book on rice (Flatiron Books; in collaboration with Harlem chef JJ Johnson).

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