A Monday Book Review

44 comments

Happy Monday everyone! Today is usually fun and games day, but in reality every day is fun and games day here for my kitties. I wish all kitties were so lucky, but as you all know many are in need.

I was thrilled when I won a copy of the children’s book The Perfect Place for Toodles from Melissa’s Mochas Mysteries and Meows ( http://www.mochasmysteriesmeows.com/ )

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I was excited to read it because the author supposedly wanted to promote responsible pet ownership. It starts off great, a family with 2 children adopt a kitten and give him lots of love. They even dress him up for the holidays like I do to my kitties.

Then they have to move to a place where they can’t have pets. It sounds like they are going to leave him behind until the kids ask the parents to have a neighbor take him. In the end he takes one last trip to the beach with the family and runs away. His kitty friends at the beach welcome him and that is the end. I loved the photos and the start, but this book took a horrible turn. I do not think it promotes responsibility at all.

I was also upset that the author, a former Elementary School teacher, thinks this is a happy ending. I am torn between just tossing the book so this bad message is not spread or selling it on Amazon and donating the proceeds to a shelter. I welcome your opinions and will do what the majority votes.

I do plan to write reviews on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads to let people know this is not the book they should get for their children.

Here is the Amazon link, hopefully my review will be listed there soon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Place-Toodles-Barbara-Pierce/dp/1483677982/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1438566310&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+perfect+place+for+toodleshttp://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Place-Toodles-Barbara-Pierce/dp/1483677982/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1438566310&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=the+perfect+place+for+toodles

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44 comments

  1. I totally agree – review this book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and Goodreads, and explain what is wrong with it. I can tell you that if my human had read it as a child, it would have haunted her forever because even when she was very young, she knew that leaving a pet behind was wrong. In fact, this story may haunt her now – and she hasn’t even read it and she’s an adult!

    1. I didn’t have a cat growing up so if I had read this I might have grown up thinking that a cat living on the beach was a good thing. It is definitely not a well written book to promote responsible pet ownership.

  2. OMC Awe yous serious awnty Ellen? A book ’bout wespawnsible pet ownership dat has da poor kitty endin’ up on da stweets as a stway? Not good, not good at all. Weez so disappointed and sad. Da fact is lots oof peeps fink dat be okay, and it’s cuz of fings just like this. Weez agwee 100% purlease write weviews everywhere it be sold tellin’ how pawful it is. Hopefully da auffor will get da message and learn to be a respawnsible owner hers selff. Yous just never know bout peeps. Hope y’all hae a gweat Monday. And by da way…Yous all won da FroliCat Pounce weez gave away last week. Weez’ll be talkin’ soon.

    Luv ya’

    Dezi and Lexi

    1. I was very upset at the ending of the book which is why I felt the need to write reviews about it everywhere so no one will buy it. We are thrilled to have won the frolicat Pounce, I am sure there will be lots of pouncing 🙂 XO Thank you.

  3. Who thinks even considering leaving a pet behind is a good thing? As a dog who stood perilously on the edge of being dropped off at the pound – I know it is not a good thing! the responsible message for the book would have been that adopting a pet means for LIFE!

    1. I agree! Every pet I adopt is guaranteed a forever home. I am glad you have a great home.

  4. It makes us very sad when we read ANYWHERE (much less a kids book) when a beloved pet is left behind in anyway….. whether it runs off or is abandoned or just dumped on someone else. I think the honest review on Amazon is important so others don’t have the disappointment you did!

    Hugs, Pam (and Sam)

    1. Thank you, I want to spread the word so people don’t think they are getting a book about responsible pet ownership.

  5. I am stunned by this book’s message. Running away should never be seen as a solution for animals or children! In the story, the family should have gone to whatever length to find this cat! That would be a good message about what to do if your cat gets lost!

    I don’t like the re-homing message at all though I understand sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. Pets are family members. A lifetime commitment should be honoured.

    This is very sad. I am not sure why or how a teacher can think this is a story with a good message for anyone. I hope you review this book at every available outlet, including posting it here.

    1. I was very sad that it just ended with him on the beach with his friends. I am not against self-publishing, but when I see crap like this it makes me think there should be some way to prevent it from being published. I wrote an Amazon review and I plan to do one on Barnes and Noble and Goodreads too.

  7. I’m very surprised to hear that this is considered a happy ending. I’m fostering a cat right now who was living in a feral colony. When they trapped the cats for spay and neuter, he was discovered to be a very sweet affectionate cat – not feral at all. Also quite underweight, with parasites, and a terrible coat. He would have come to a very sad end if he hadn’t been rescued.
    On a brighter note, Ellen, I came to visit after seeing the cute things you made for the Island Cats.

    1. Thank you for visiting. I wish The Island Cats would have cooperated with the shark hat- if you look back in our posts, all 15 of my cats wore a hat like that- some more willingly than others. :)I am glad you were able to help the kitty from the feral colony.

  8. Oh my……that is no good at all!! I would definitely write reviews on those sites and warn people about the turn it takes. This definitely does not promote responsible pet ownership and it sends a bad message to children.

  9. guys…frank lee we wood love a day at de beach two…long az we wuz goin home afturr werdz…frank lee de ending sux…noe matter how ya look at it; even if de familee had knot inn tended ta leeve de kitteh at de beech… they shoulda went lookin for him….THATZ responsible pet ownership…one star for may bee nice graffix… N we wood KNOT re sell it…thatz like passin a bad message on…… ♥♥♥

    1. Thank you- you are the only ones that gave their opinion on that so I won’t resell it. I feel bad throwing it away though, the kitty is cute. Maybe I can save some of the pictures.

  11. You can tell the author does not have pets! Please review it and point out the horrible message it is sending. There are many good teachers out there, but the world of education is changing so fast. I am so glad I do not have children of school age or else I’d be home schooling them.

    1. YOu are correct, the paper with the book didn’t say if she had pets or not, but it is clear she never did. I agree, I would home school too.

  12. The ending is totally wrong and gives children the wrong message. I agree you should write a review saying that the ending is irresponsible.

    1. Thank you Flynn, I wrote the one for Amazon and have to do Goodreads and Barnes and Noble now.

  14. I really appreciate your honest thoughts on the book. I, too, was extremely concerned by the message that it sent. To quote from my review, “I found the ending to be incredibly sad, but unfortunately it’s a very realistic look at what happens to so many family pets when kids “don’t have time for them anymore”. I guess that is the ultimate lesson…don’t get a pet if you aren’t in a position to be the best pet parent possible for their entire life.”

    1. I agree that one lesson would be not to get a pet if you can’t give it a forever home, but sadly, many will miss that lesson and the author doesn’t point that out. I did like the illustrations and Toodles was adorable.

  16. May mee bee honest Lady Ellen?? Mee finks thee book iss PAWFULL!!! There iss nuffin good bout thee people leevin thee kat behind nor him runnin away….an livin thee life of a stray kat iss no fun either…
    **paw patsss** Siddhartha Henry (over to LadyMum now)
    Hi Ellen I have to agree with my ‘littul man’! This book is awful. What sortof a story is that to write? And who takes their cat to the beach oranywhere that is unknown to the animal. I say throw it in recycling bin! It is not worth the money it cost to print it!!!!
    ((hugs)) Sherri-Ellen

    1. I am not going to resell it or donate it. I did like the illustrations so maybe I can use them for something so it isn’t a total loss. I was very disappointed in the book, I had hoped to save it for my niece’s baby. I have 2 kids books written that I hope to publish someday. I will have to self publish because they have been rejected everywhere, but I believe in them and their message. Hugs to you both from Phoebe and me.XO

        1. It is definitely a bad book. Love to you too little purrince and Phoebe sends her love too!XO

  17. Even when Mommy was little (a long, long time ago) she knew that pets were forever family members so that book would’ve upset her very much. It upsets us all today!

    1. Sadly a lot of kids don’t realize pets are forever and this book would just add to it.

  18. What a terrible message to send in any book, let alone one written for children. I think a review is a great idea. Potential purchasers should know what they’re buying.

    On a related note, have you seen the commercial for Aleve with the shelter dog? They edited the commercial shortly after it’s first airing because the woman said something about taking the recently adopted dog back to the shelter because her back hurt. They edited that out of the sound track. Good for them for realizing the bad message they were sending and changing it.

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