"Sketch, The Cat Who Thought He Was A Dog!" is available exclusively for Kindle this Christmas.
It downloaded and was ready to read within a couple of minutes, which was a good thing because my kids and their two friends were jumping all over the backseat and with the bumper to bumper on the freeway we were an accident waiting to happen.
I passed my Kindle back to them with the kid book, "Sketch, The Cat Who Thought He Was A Dog" and it was like magic; they got quiet and started reading.
(I can't tell you which of those two I liked better!) I did notice in the rear view mirror though, that the story engaged them right away.
It's no wonder because "Sketch, The Cat Who Thought He Was A Dog" has an endearing opening.
Here's the first paragraph: "Ever since he could remember, Sketch had lived amongst dogs.
There were three of them and Sketch was the fourth.
Once he had tried to bark like his brothers but only a strange, high-pitched sound had come out and they had all looked at him.
He had felt really embarrassed.
After that time, he'd always thought there was something wrong with him, even though his brothers treated him well, as one of their own.
" After everyone was in bed, I sat in my favorite chair with my new Kindle and a cup of tea to read "Sketch, The Cat Who Thought He Was A Dog.
" So it's now Saturday morning, we've all had breakfast, and I can tell you: I really, really like this kid book.
No, that's not true -- I love it.
Little Sketch is adorable, he's a cat who has always lived with dogs and has never known anything else.
And at its heart, this kid book is about being different and knowing that there's nothing wrong with that, in fact, it teaches kids that it's great to be different.
Let's look at the story.
The forest adventures of a cat and dogs begin, and we meet the three dogs that Sketch considers family.
They have always taken care of him and accepted the fact that he is not a dog.
We first meet Krypto, a muscular Boxer dog, the dog who watched over Sketch when he was a little kitten.
"...
even letting him eat out of his own bowl.
They drank water together every morning too.
" How cute is that? Then we meet Corso, a giant, grey-colored mixed breed who is the most intelligent of the three and helps Sketch find his true strengths..
He is a dog who has lived on the streets before, which is why he always knows where to find good food (like pizza).
He just lets his nose lead the way.
The third one is a huge Labrador, with "fur the color of the Sun," as writer Gabriel Hroz puts it.
Turn the electronic page of this popular children's book and we soon learn that the main character of the book, Little Sketch, has begun to wonder why he's so different than his three big brothers.
He can't howl or growl no matter how hard he tries.
But the problem of course is that Little Sketch doesn't know he's a cat.
Sketch is sad about being different until he learns that he can climb trees, which he loves to do.
And along the way he discovers the sharp claws hidden in his paws and notices that he can stretch his paws to use them only when he needs them, something his brothers can't do.
Then one day, he meets Mr.
Tree, and it turns out to be a very interesting meeting.
Here's the excerpt: The Sun was warm on his face.
He closed his eyes slowly to feel it better.
He meowed and stretched and scratched his claws on the bark underneath him.
All of a sudden, a windy voice came from all around him! "Ha-ha-ha, that tickles!" the Voice said.
Sketch looked around, "who are you?" "Why are you so surprised?" came the voice, "didn't you know Trees could talk?" Sketch didn't know what to say, so he just listened.
The voice was like leaves moving in the Wind.
"My name is Mr.
Tree, what's yours?" And as this great kid book unfolds, Sketch begins to learn more and more about himself.
With Mr.
Tree's help, he is able to actually see himself for the first time.
(He looks in his bowl and notices his reflection in the water's surface.
) After that, Sketch knows he is completely different than his brothers.
It's the wise Mr.
Tree and the elder dog, Corso, that help Sketch see just how important it is to be different and to focus on his strengths.
So, after giving this book a real world test on the freeway with 4 kids, and then reading it myself over a cup of tea, I would say this kid book is a worthwhile addition to any parent's Kindle library.
Having it on your Kindle is the most convenient way to read to your kids--anytime, anywhere.
About the story itself, the storyline is engaging and the characters well-drawn.
The main character, Little Sketch, encounters a problem that many kids face: being different, not fitting in, which makes him easy to identify with.
And the lesson learned is a valuable thing for all children to know, that each one of them is unique, with his, or her, own strengths and talents.
These are what they should focus on.
So I highly recommend the "Sketch, The Cat Who Thought He Was A Dog" to anyone with kids and a kindle who wants their children to know that it's great to be different.
This kid book will definitely be one of the most popular children's books this year.