Jet the Cat (Is Not a Cat) by Phaea Crede and Terry Runyan - ADVISABLE

Jet the Cat (Is Not a Cat) by Phaea Crede, illustrated by Terry Runyan. PICTURE BOOK. Barefoot Books, 2021. $17. 9781646861668

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3), EL, MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Jet is a cat like any other cat, but when other animals tell her that cats do not do the things she loves to do, they tell her she must not be a cat. Since cats do not swim, she must be a frog. But frogs do not sing, so she must be a bird. And so on. It is only when Jet embraces that she is a cat unlike any other that she is happy and helps the other animals feel free to be themselves too.

Bright mixed media illustrations paired with text that is not overly wordy make this a great read-aloud book. I love that it teaches that we do not have to conform to stereotypes, and that we are happiest when we are fully ourselves. In addition to appealing to cat-lovers, this book would be a good addition to an SEL collection. 

 R. Williams, Elementary School Librarian