Member Reviews
Thank you Netgalley for review copy.
Very cute, humorous tale with a sprinkling of Christmas magic and a morality tale in amongst it. Not bad.
Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I think this is a great read for kids and people who enjoy cute reads about Christmas and cats! The writing was nice and easy to read.
A fun short story for children
It is quite cute and cheeky cat Christmas story that my children had a giggle at. As per most children books there is a lesson to be learned
This was a good book with an important moral lesson. My nephew especially loved Shadow and we had a quick chat about bullying.
My son absolutely loves cats and this was a must read for us. The story is short, sweet and a quick read. As cat owners we know what little rascals cats can be with Christmas Trees with those tempting ornaments and bright lights. The story gives a unique perspective from everyone's point of view. In particular the cat's and the Christmas Tree's. It teaches the child how different perspectives can viewed, some not in pleasant ways, even though the intent was innocent and playful. The story is easily relatable to the audience and teaches a valuable lesson. A wonderful little read for the Christmas season. Just a personal thought, even thought this is a chapter book, it would have been more charming with illustrations.
I have been postponing writing this review for over a month now because, to be honest, i did not like this book. And for some reason i did not want to leave a negative review… But then i realised, i always write “... in exchange for an honest review” in my reviews and if i wanted to keep that up, i should be able to express my honest opinions; positive or negative.
That being said, i was so excited about this book! As a cat owner myself (4 rascals that i love) and a huge christmas lover, i was looking forward to reading this. However, i just couldn’t get into the story. Right from the first chapter, the writing just irritated me. It felt like one of those movies with horrible acting and forced dialogue that makes everything feel inauthentic. There was no depth to the characters and everything felt a bit rushed.
The idea behind the story is pretty cool though. I appreciated the magical elements and the message that was being conveyed.
Overall, i think this book did not “succeed” for me because of the wide-relatability of the topic (cats and trees: which is a really common “problem” amongst pet owners). When you are dealing with such a topic, you need your story to stand out, which means it needs to be above average. And “The Cat in the Christmas Tree” was not.
*spoiler addition*
Another thing is, i do not thing the usage of cats in relation to tress was the best analogy to use in this case. There were parts where the christmas tree was talking about how cats were “hurting” trees by scratching their trunks or sometimes even peeing on them. All those things are just natural! I don’t know about other people, but i live in a city with a lot of stray cats in the streets and these things are just what they do. I know the author was trying to teach kids to be considerate to other people and try not to hurt them deliberately, but using examples of things that are not in line with that is not the proper way to do it.
A lovely, cute little book for young children, bit of the "Christmas Carole" about it with a modern message at the end. I did find the message did not quite flow with the story, and it did come as a surprise, but certainly a message that is very relevant today. Children will enjoy it, and the message will resound easily with them.
Wow. I thought this would be a fun Christmas read, something I would look forward to sharing with my granddaughter for Christmas. A story about a cat and a Christmas tree, written by a cat lover? A sure thing, right? Having seven cats, I know all about the havoc they can wreak in a house a Christmastide...least of which to the Christmas tree. You make adjustments, you don't threaten to get rid of the cat, scaring your child so that he will wake up and be afraid you will have sent the cat back to the shelter with a report that will make him unadoptable. The angry father, the weak mother and the heavy handed lesson were all too much for me this holiday season. Definitely give this one a miss if you want to keep your holiday spirit intact.
Cats in our Christmas tree is a yearly, seasonal battle in our home. This is a delightful little book that would make a great family read during the Christmas season. A lesson in behavior is also included in the tale.
Honestly, I picked up this middle grad story for my son who loves cats hoping we could read it together but he didn't seem real interested. After reading it myself , I found it a little too obvious in terms of what the lesson was and thus how the story would unfold. The idea, cat wrecks havoc around Christmas and risk being given away, had potential; any parent can relate. Just a little too cute and obvious overall.
Being a cat lover, I had to read this book. Shadow likes to have fun. He thinks that the Christmas tree is in the house for him to play in. However Nathan’s dad is tired from work. He has gotten tired of Shadow waking him up whenever Shadow wants food or to be petted. When Shadow tips over the Christmas tree, dad says the cat is going back to the shelter! Mom says let’s wait as this is Christmas Eve. Shadow decides to jump in the tree again when everyone has gone to sleep. Shadow is transported to Christmas tree land where Shadow learns how trees live. Will Shadow learn anything from this?
The author has written a lovely story introducing what rules are for. It also introduces bullying and what to do. I liked reading this book as you see how a family and cat learns how to live together. It’s a great story!
I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I read The Cat in the Christmas Tree with my son. He loved the cat, and he wanted to read it again. It's a hit with him! Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sweet “tail” with a message on behavior.
Shadow is a young cat who needs to some training. He is tempted to play with the Christmas decorations. Of course Christmas trees with hanging ornaments and hanging tinsel are a major attraction. Shadow has had several mischievous encounters knocking the tree and breaking ornaments. Young Nathan loves his kitty but Dad is ready to remove the cat because of its bad behaviors. Nathan makes a request for magical holiday help to save his cat. What can an enchanted tree do to teach Shadow better behaviors?
This is just a sweet little story where Mr. Scottsdale uses this very short story to share a message to youngsters about how their negative, sometimes just mischievous, actions impact others. The story shows that there are choices that can be made to not hurt others or the belongings of others.
I recommend this story as a nice Christmas (or anytime of year) story that can help teach caring manners to children.
Source: NetGalley.
Although I could see the potential in this text, I was not able to sustain my attention and finish the narrative.
I think pets and Christmas stories go together well. I expected this book to be easy to like. Unfortunately, this book disappointed. A children’s book will be somewhat simple, but I’m sorry to say this reads like a child’s paper. The characters are one-dimensional, and there’s no reason for that in today’s children’s book market. There are so many good ones for kids to read. This, unfortunately, isn’t one I’d pick out for a child. Oh, and a world of Christmas trees that ended up training the cat to behave around humans? It wasn’t cute, just odd. Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.. (This is my Goodreads review.
I loved reading this during the holiday season! Its a fun and short middle-grade chapter book that features a cat named Shadow and his antics during Christmas. This story is so cute and warm and has a touch of Christmas magic, hope, and love. This would be great to read with children during the holidays.
Nope. 🚫 Nope. 🚫 Nope. 🚫
I'm not supporting a book that thinks it is "cute" to kick a cat out of the house because of something they did. CATS ARE NOT TOYS. DO NOT BRING A CAT INTO YOUR FAMILY IF YOU DON'T PLAN ON BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. And making your child cry at Christmas because you tell them you're going to get rid of their pet? You shouldn't have children or pets. 🙄😤
I originally requested this book because I have cats who constantly want to knock the Christmas tree down. I thought it would be a cute holiday story I could relate to but no it was terrible. Do you know what I do instead of throwing my cats out... I use ornaments they can't break. I give them ornaments they can play with like bells so they won't want to mess with the tree. I use an artificial tree so they won't get sick from the water or chewing on the branches. I duct tape the base to the floor. (It works!) I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY CATS.
I get that the author wanted to do a cute retelling of A Christmas Carol but the execution was horrible and I would never let a child read this book.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review but this book was not for me.
Finally, Sophie read The Cat in the Christmas Tree, a very short (just 88 pages) chapter book about a mischievous black kitten called Shadow and his owner Nathan. Sophie picked it up because her family has just adopted three cats, including one all black kitten, who have all been a little too fascinated with the family Christmas tree and she thought her son would enjoy reading about a similar situation. She was right. Her son found the story so hilarious she frequently had to stop reading in order for him to catch his breath!
In the book, Shadow is causing mayhem for his new adopted family by attacking the Christmas tree and anything else he can get his paws into. Nathan loves Shadow and is desperate to keep him, but his father is getting increasingly angry with Shadow’s antics and threatens to send him back to the rescue center. Nathan hopes that the magic of the season will intervene which it does when their Christmas tree comes to life on Christmas Eve to show Shadow the error of his ways.
The story is as heavy-handed as that description makes it sound and Sophie struggled to read it without rolling her eyes thanks to dialog like this:
“[Nathan]’s such a sweet boy.”
“He sure is. Thank you Christmas Tree for showing me how to be a good cat.”
This was in addition to the two-dimensional characters like the grumpy father and simpering, placating mother, none of whom made her particularly enjoy the book. However, she is not the target audience and her nine-year-old son absolutely loved it. One to pick up ready for next Christmas if you have young cat lovers in your family (it’ll be here before you know it…!)
Lovely short story for 6-7 yo. Well written, with lovely descriptions throughout. My 10 yo daughter read it in one sitting and said it was a pleasant read but certainly aimed at a younger audience.
This book was exactly what you would expect from the title. While the story was completely predictable, the author wrote from the perspective of somebody who has evidently studied the movements and antics of cats in great detail. He describes every action in such fine detail that you have no difficulty in picturing exactly what mischief the cat is getting up to. A nice read for excited youngsters at Christmas.