Cover Image: Science Comics: Cats

Science Comics: Cats

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Member Reviews

I read this to my children and they really enjoyed it. The illustrations were well drawn and made the story come alive. Highly recommend.

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Cats! Not just the rulers of the internet and our Feline Overlords. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cats in any way, shape or form.

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Hirsch’s art style is well-suited to animals, giving them plenty of personality in a cartoony way. That makes the book incredibly readable with plenty of intriguing tidbits of information, including about breeding and domestication. Seeing all the different kinds of cats and why they look the way they do — Hirsch explains coat patterns and tail purpose, among other facts — is fascinating. I loved reading this, and it’s a great choice for anyone interested in cats.

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Another great science comic title about one of our favorite things: cats! There was a lot of information here but for older kids it would be perfect to learn about the different types of cats (big and little) that exist. Even I learned some new things! Definitely recommended.

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Great layout and artwork lend itself to an information packed book that talks of all things cats! As with the other books in the series, readers are introduced to their subject, and then we're taken through the book by a trusty black and white cat guide.

Exploring everything feline from kodkods to the biggest tigers, readers learn about cat with teeth, claws, and camouflage to survive everywhere from deserts to mountaintops. Hirsch's artwork is nothing less than beautiful (I was hooked by his Science Comics: Trees and the premise that they can communicate), but be forewarned that there is a LOT of information to take in. Between reading the panels, reading the illustrations and the information dispensed through speech bubbles, this is a book you'll want to take your time with and savor. Highly recommended for older students grades 4 and up.

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I love the science comics titles. This one was just as great as some of their other titles. Engaging and educational.

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Every volume of Science Comics is terrific! The Cats volume teaches about cats both domestic and wild. Extremely educational as well as interesting and fun -- it is purr-fect! I can't wait to read more of them!

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This title was my first foray into this series and I am hooked! These science comics teach legitimate information in a fun and engaging way. Even as an adult that is really interested in cats, I learned some new facts from this book. Graphic novels are really in right now so I feel that these titles could sell really well in our store! I will be personally reading more and ordering some in to the store to sell!

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There’s no other animal quite like a cat. Currently, cats are enjoying a surge of popularity, with billions of views of cat videos online, as well as being the most popular household pet (just behind fish). But, as much as we love our four-footed furry friends, they can still seem to be a mystery. Internet cat sensation Bean is here to change all that.

Bean is a calico cat who is being interviewed for the show Star Tales. His story begins as many cats’ origins do: As a stray left outside to fend for himself. As he describes how he survived, we learn about a cat’s diet, their style of hunting, and the senses that help them find and catch prey. We also learn about how wild cats have adapted their environments while domestic cats have had to adapt to living with humans.

The book gets interesting when it starts exploring the nature of cats, and more explicitly, how both nature and nurture can change a domestic cat. When a cat no longer needs to hunt for its own food, it becomes a more social animal. What they hunt is also affected by how they were raised (so no more cat shaming videos when the cat doesn’t cat catch a mouse!). There is a short discussion about DNA and evolution. The DNA strands are shown as yarn, which is both helpful and appropriate to the subject matter. However, it is kept short, and even references the volume Science Comics: Dogs, From Predator to Protector for more details.

The most fascinating question the book looks at is if cats are truly domesticated. While it doesn’t give a definitive answer, it does give some interesting points to consider, including the “yes and no” answers to domestication and a cat’s “cute factor.” It’s hard to deny this last one, considering all the images, sites and videos of cats all over the internet.

Cats: Nature and Nurture is another great entry into the Science Comics series. It shows the sometimes harsh realities cats, both wild and domestic, face in the world. Bean’s origin is one seen more often with cats than any other pet. There is some humor thrown in with the banners that are displayed as part of Bean’s interview, and Bean himself is a natural on screen, as all cats are. If you think you know everything about cats, this book will make you think again.

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Well, this was cute and educational.

I love cats. I love science. So, when I saw this on Netgalley it was a no-brainer to request a free ARC, and fortunately it was granted. I was unfamiliar with this series, so I went in blind, but the art was great, the biological and evolutionary science information was accessible, yet not overly dumbed down (as a PhD student who has taken a lot of science, I didn't feel like it was overly simple, but it would make sense to the masses, too), and it was a good length. The educational aspects were told within a clever story of an alley cat turned famous cat, which was a cute idea.

The only thing I didn't love was that the story could've been more developed. I read most of it in one sitting and then came back to it the next day, and I thought I had accidentally jumped forward a bunch in my document because it was suddenly at the end and felt like a piece was missing. I went back a few pages to check if I had skipped something, and I hadn't. So, the ending was a bit abrupt. But that said, I loved it and I learned something new, so all in all, works for me.

Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

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Narrated by a cat, this book provides a look at cat’s physical traits, habits, abilities and preferences, and genetics (with a little lesson on genetics and how that relates to domestic vs wild cats and different cat breeds).

A nice graphic novel creatively told but very informational that tells you all about cats. I would’ve gobbled this up as a cat-obsessed middle grader or teen. I still enjoyed it. The science is very solid, and this would be an especially good supplemental read for anyone studying high school biology genetics. (The vocabulary may throw some unfamiliar with terms like genotype, phenotype, etc. Having taught more HS biology classes on genetics than I can count over the years I got things right away, but I know the average reader won’t. I’d venture a guess that the average middle grade or teen reader would skim that part, get some things but not much (unless they’ve already gone over these terms a few times), still enjoy the book, but would need more in depth teaching to really get what is being talked about. In my experience phenotype and genotype tend to boil the brains of average teens, and they need several different examples of each and how they relate to really understand.) This would be a great resource for someone doing a report on cats, a fantastic read for a curious reader, something a cat lover would swoon over, and an informative read appealing to graphic novel readers who may not normally touch nonfiction.

Notes on content [based on ARC]: Some discussion of predation but nothing super gory on page.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Boy I learned so much about cats - both wild and domestic - and how domestication and genes work - so cool! And I'm not even a cat person lol The illustrations were adorable (obviously, they're cats!) and it kept me hooked. The "plot" premise of interviewing a social media famous cat was funny enough but had a hilarious laugh-out-loud twist at the end.

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We love this Comic book. First off it is a comic book with fun illustrations and a cute story. As a bonus it is about cats, one of our very favorite topics! It is a fun read along story that also educates you on cats. There are so many great cat facts in this comic for all cat lovers out there. Teaching you both about wild and domestic cats we learned a ton. This is a book we will go back to again and again and learn something new each time. If you have a cat lover in your house you need to check this out!

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Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the Science Comics series. I am a middle school librarian, and these have been the best way to get my students to read and enjoy books about science related topics. Cats was a solid addition to the series. The narrator was adorable charming and packed a lot of information into each chapter. I love books like this - I almost feel like I’m tricking my students into learning under the guise of a super fun comic book. I have every other title in this series, and will definitely be ordering this one as well.

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I love how much information is contained in the graphic novel format. This book will make it easier for reluctant readers to read non-fiction material.

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I must admit, it has been some time since I read this title, but the fact that I almost spouted off some cat facts to my nephew this past weekend means that it stuck with me! Highly suggested, as with almost all of the other Science Comics. A great addition for any library and especially for those with a nonfiction graphic novel collection.

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My students have been checking out the other books in this series and now I know why. Engaging comics with loads of facts. I learned quite a lot about cats, and I have owned cats my entire life! These books are fun but educational and they give the information in an understandable way without talking down to the reader. I realize that I will have to purchase the entire series for my library.

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Another solid installment from Science Comics. Hirsch brings the story of cat domestication to life through Bean, a stray-turned-internet star giving an interview about her life.

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I'm a cat lady (as evidenced by the fact I have a cats tag on Goodreads) so of course I loved this. But I loved it from a librarian angle too! This is the first Science Comics book I've read, despite knowing about them for a while, and I hope to add this one to my branch's collection. These are a great way to get science into kids' hands in one of the most popular formats out there.

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This is one book in a series called "Science Comics". This book is about cats. It has a TON of information but is presented in a way that is humorous and enjoyable for all readers!
The illustrations are fantastic and really add to the book. They match what is being discussed on the page perfectly. The glossary and index were also very helpful and a great addition to this non-fiction book. I will be picking up a copy when it comes out to add to my classroom!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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