Book Review: Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R. F. Kristi

Diary of a Snoopy Cat
Author: R. F. Kristi
Genre: Children’s book
Publishers: Amazon Asia-Pacific Holdings Private Limited

Plot Summary:
‘Diary of a Snoopy Cat’ is a children’s book that narrates the story of a cat called Inca, who is not only curious but also adventurous. She has a detective agency of her own that comprises pet agents, human agents and a hamster agent too. Unlike the narrative atmosphere, this is more of a journal entry by Inca about her daily escapades. The story leaves a lot of scope for testing the cognitive skills of the children by asking them various questions related to the actions of the cat.

Area A: Text
The text has been organized in simple sentences. Cautiously yet beautifully drafted sentences do not fail to appeal to the children, for they describe the personality of the young cat so aptly. With appropriate subtlety, the authoress has tried to touch the right chord of the young minds by introducing valuable lessons. These lessons on the importance of friendship, the importance of being there for others and appreciating the gifts that God has gifted us, appear time and again and the children can be probed to understand their relevance.

The target audience is young children aged between 7-13 years who have well developed auditory senses but take their time to work on their cognitive skills. The vocabulary is simple and elementary. the intelligent humour will lighten the mood and offer them moments of genuine laughter.

Area B: Illustrations
The cover of the book neatly presents the main conflict of the plot. The illustrations (in broad strokes) strike the right chord and will be liked by the children. The primary medium used in illustrations is rough sketching.

Area C: Characterization
The main character of the story is Inca and the most dominant trait that can be identified is her willpower to achieve her goal. The central idea and the conflict of the story- the anxiety of Inca to go out and exploit her limits and test her potential- will be relatable. This short story explores the struggles of a young cat and leaves behind an important lesson of life that will be imbibed by the children.

Verdict:

I would give 3 out of 4 stars to the book because of the witty writing style of the author. However, I felt the illustrations could have been better.