Frankenkitty

Frankenkitty is a terrifyingly terrible tale of a fearsome feline, a cat like no other . . . Fans of Mini Grey (who brought us delights such as Traction Man) will enjoy this latest quirky tale.

Whilst not for the faint-hearted, this book is perfect for gruesome ghoulish lovers of all things creepy! That said, despite the billing and the wonderful illustrations, this is not really a scary book. It manages to stay just on the right side of delightfully creepy.

Frankenkitty lives in a castle in a forest with his freaky family and beloved owner Olive, but is he really as scary as he seems? Every page of this book is packed with interesting items; pickles and frogs, sprouts and socks. The endpapers are a delight of delicious horror.

The descriptive language builds to a crescendo as we are asked, is Frankenkitty truly a despicable creature? Or is he just a tiny kitten in a scary world? Fabulous fun and great to read aloud, I loved this book and can think of many a Year 2 child who would love it too. An ideal book present for this time of year that is sure to become a favourite. A delicious Halloween treat!

Picture book / Reviewed by Tina Derry, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+

One very dark night, an inventor creates a terrifying monster - Frankenkitty! The horrors he has unleashed are unbelievable, so the monster cat is expelled from the castle . . . but was Frankenkitty really the monster he was made out to be?

Fun and not at all frightening, Frankenkitty is perfect for sharing as the dark night's draw in! As the narrator (look out for disembodied head, hand and foot team!) builds tension with increasingly dramatic claims, full of foreboding, readers can see that all is not as is claimed. Frankenkitty is the very opposite of the petrifying, malevolent creation described. Olive, the inventor's daughter, is quick to see past all the preconceptions, rescuing Frankenkitty and caring for him when everyone else has rejected him!

The story is a joy to read aloud with plenty of opportunities for 'doing voices', creating tension and lots of drama. There are plenty of opportunities for discussing how looks can be misleading and how important it is to get to know people rather than pre-judging them.

Mini Grey's illustrations are just delightful with so many details to notice and little jokes to enjoy! The end papers pay tribute to Mary Shelley, creator of the original Frankenstein and his monster, with her suitcase, complete with travel labels, shown in the corner. Children (and adults!) will also enjoy spotting characters presented on the shelves here which make an appearance in the story and who can be seen returning to their places on the papers at the end of the book. It also looks to me as if Olive is wearing hearing aids, something not mentioned in the text and all the more powerful a choice for this.

Playing on many of the classic horror tropes, 'Frankenkitty' is a humorous and entertaining read with a very endearing monster!

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+