Book Review - Simon's Cat in Kitten Chaos

About the Book

Here is a wonderful gem of a book for families to enjoy together: SIMON'S CAT IN KITTEN CHAOS, based on the Internet phenomenon Simon's Cat, with more than 280 million YouTube views. It started with a humble beginning for award-winning British illustrator and author, Simon Tofield, five years ago, as a simple ballpoint doodle of his cat, Hugh, when Tofield was teaching himself how to use some animation software. Simon's Cat was an instant viral success and it has since evolved into a worldwide online -- and offline -- smash hit. As he does so skillfully with his online videos, Tofield captures the idiosyncrasies of these creatures that cat lovers know all too well. Since 2008, Simon’s Cat animated online videos, books, comic strips, and games have garnered fiercely loyal fans worldwide, and the videos have earned more US views on YouTube than from any other country. Tofiled's new book SIMON'S CAT IN KITTEN CHAOS (Akashic; April 16, 2013), is the uproarious and endearing addition to the elegantly illustrated book series for all ages, based on the YouTube cartoon, and the first edition supported by a major US national book tour.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY reviews the book this week and says: "...Among all the Garfields and LOLcats and dead cats (and their 101 uses), Tofield's cartoons stand tall--hilarious, loving observations of a privileged and bossy house cat...What elevates Tofield's simple but expressive line drawings above the large litter of competing kitties is his keen grasp of cartoon physics and comedy cat antics. With a pitch-perfect pen, he captures the simple, realistic acrobatics of cat tumbling with toys or gracefully stretching out in the sun...cat owners and afficianados will have several delighted 'Yes, cats really do that!' reactions reading this."

The latest Simon’s Cat video, currently the number 1 “most liked” and “most viewed” film on YouTube, received over a million views in just two days:

• Here is the very first one, 280 million YouTube views ago: http://www.simonscat.com/Films/Cat-Man-Do/
• A Funny One: http://www.simonscat.com/Films/Icecapade/
• A feature on Simon in the UK Guardian ("From Ballpoint Doodle to Cartoon Museum Star"): http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jul/26/simons-cat-cartoon-museum
• The book is illustrated with a collection of clean, elegant, simple, black-and-white drawings that depict the cats’ interactions with great imagination and humor on every page.
• No dialogue or words are needed. There are no language barriers in Simon’s Cat. It’s all about subtle gestures, body language, and posturing (tails up! eyes wide! paws out!) as they go about their daily existence, vying for food, attention, and a good place to nap.
• It's also about relationships, love, camaraderie, animals, humor, play—and the fleeting, funny, seemingly insigificant moments in life. This is part of what makes Simon's Cat so unique and resonate with millions of fans across the globe.

About the Author
Simon Tofield is an award-winning illustrator, animator, and director at Tandem Films in London. At the age of nine, Simon received his first kitten, a stray rescued from a farmer’s barn. He has had cats ever since. When not attending to his cats’ needs, Simon likes painting, reading history books, and spending time in the great British countryside. His Simon’s Cat short films have garnered hundreds of millions of views, and the book versions have been international best sellers.

My Take on the Book
I had never heard of Simon before, but as a cat lover this was such a funny book filled with so many cartoons that any cat lover will appreciate. Tofield is able to capture the true personality of a cat in these fun drawings, and if you have ever owned a cat you will definitely be drawn in. If you are like me you will definitely laugh hard through this, and even without words Tofield is able to convey so much to the reader.  The whole premise of this book surrounds a new kitten being introduced into the home and Simon's reaction to this. Having gone through this type of transition with another cat, I could see some similar reactions from my own cat in Simon which made this book even more fun to read through!

Overall this was a great book that any cat lover will enjoy!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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