This was okay, but a little dull and lacking a message. It would make for a good bedtime story, though.

I can see this as useful for a storytelling unit (this used to be my favorite unit I taught!). This could be part of the introduction to brainstorm stories we DO like and why we like them.. guiding kids towards the pieces that make a good story.

It has this use but otherwise in itself it doesn’t have the parts of a good story so that would be a useful thing to investigate together too... but also why I wouldn’t otherwise grab this one.

That being said, who doesn’t love a curmudgeon vibe / cat joke?

Thanks to the publisher / Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this endearingly illustrated story to be charming and sweet.  It will be especially enjoyed by children who like cats as the adventurous cat features in all of the illustrations.  Our narrator tells about all of the kinds of stories that he does not like as he goes through the events of his day...but wait!  What happens at the end?  Read the book to find out.  It is cute.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

The idea behind this story is a great one. I felt like this would be a fun story my 7 year old could relate to. It was confusing and disorganized. I am hoping that it can be improved upon before publishing the finished project. There are grammatical errors and redundant sentences. The pictures do not align with the story. I am hopeful that it will be improved upon before it is published. I gave it two stars because I see the great potential it has.

I Do Not Like Stories was simple and cute. I do think it took my children a little while to connect the things the boy in the book was describing to his cat's adventures we see with no dialogue on the next pages.

What a brilliant book! How many kids do we know that say, "I just don't like stories!"? Well, this book is for those kids. We all have something we love, something that will hook us in. We just need to find out what it is. The illustrations added the perfect balance and flow to this story and I love the colors. It was perfect!

The little boy narrator makes it very clear from the get-go that he does NOT like stories. As he goes about his day he accentuates that fact.

It starts first thing in the morning. He hates waking up, people in space, fish in the sea , planes and trains, boring old buildings, numbers, apples or pears, peaches or plums and missing the one you love, just to name a few off his list of dissensions. His day is riddled with complaints, whines and gloom.

The author contrasts how the boy's cat spends its day. He parallels the cat's adventures through graphic pictures that are full of activity and humour. His cat spreads mischief and chaos around the city and returns back home just as his owner is exiting his school bus and returning home from school too.

When the day is finally wrapped up the boy concedes that a story he might like is about his cat that he loves very much.

The over all colour pallet is various tones of grey and quite subdued. The illustrator then adds limited splashes of yellow, blue and orange which makes the colours pop. The illustrations are strong enough to stand on their own without the text but when married together they make a very rich story. Kids who love cats and a dual storyline will love this book. I highly recommend it.

This sweet, simple picture book uses a parallel narrative structure to show a boy and his cat pining for each other as the boy spends a day pondering all the things he does not like (namely, anything that isn't his cat). Though some readers may find the boy's litany of dislikes off-putting, this book will encourage critical thinking and discussion with reluctant readers.

3.5 stars

A little boy who doesn't care for most stories is open to hearing one about a cat, while his own cat spends its day mischievously exploring the very places and experiences that allegedly hold no interest to the child. With a muted palette and sly humor, this picture book will hold instant appeal for young skeptics, cat lovers, and readers who appreciate a subversive dual storyline.

I thought this was a very cute story. There weren't a lot of words on each page, and I liked the repetition of "I do not like stories about...." I think my students would relate very much to only wanting to read what they want to read, and I appreciated the relationship between the boy and his cat. The only thing I wished that this book had was actually a book about a cat at the ending! But the book left on a hopeful note that this boy will like something to read, maybe. :-)

#IDoNotLikeStories #NetGalley

I Do Not Like Stories I can't count the number of times that I have heard some version of this said. As a teacher, aunt, friend and grandmother it has been my passion to find the right book to ignite a love a reading. This short picture book is the perfect way to begin conversations with future readers about what they enjoy and would want to read about. The illustrations are simple and draw you into this quick read about a boy that can not be convinced to read. While the young boy repeatedly tells us what he doesn't want to read about, we get hints about what he might want to read about.

I recommend this book as a way to open up conversations with students/your child about what their interests are and what they would want to read a story about or learn more about.

This book is about a little boy, and his pet cat. The boy brings readers into a day in his life where he details which types of stories he doesn’t like, all of which are reflected in the scenes around him. The book was great! Very different, which is good as a teacher. There are students who could relate to this book which is the best part, and hard to accomplish. I mostly appreciated how at the end the boy does state what he would like to hear stories about. Oftentimes students have a hard time choosing what books to read and this book could help with that. It could be used in a lesson in many different ways! Great read and nice illustrations.

This was a fun picture book about a boy who definitely does not like stories about - well, pretty much anything. Throughout the story, we see the boy going through an ordinary school day, all while pointing out things he does not find interesting. Meanwhile, his cat is having all kinds of adventures without him. From startling the mailman, to wandering around the park - his cat's day could easily make a fun story on it's own.

Well written and illustrated, this book has a fun twist at the end that will have your child making up stories of their own.

'I Do Not Like Stories' is a picture book about a boy who does not like stories! Within the book are brief vignettes of the boy's cat having adventures about each topic the boy mentions. The illustrations are lovely and understated. This book would be great for a young child (age 4-6) who is feeling grumpy or doesn't like listening to stories.

Thank you to OwlKids Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I Do Not Like Stories is a book about a boy who seems contrary about everything in his life. He insists he doesn’t like stories about the things that he experiences throughout the day. At the end, he mentions that he might like the right story.

The muted illustrations beautifully set the story of what the boy dies like: his cat. The cat has an adventure through the city while the boy is at school. As an educator, this illustrations lend themselves to students using inferencing, predicting, and narrative skills if they retell the story from the cat’s perspective.

Thank you to OwlKids Books and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

I Do Not Like Stories is basically a boy complaining that he doesn't like stories about... well, everything. The more interesting part of the book is watching the boy's cat, who takes a trip around the city while the boy is in school. At the end of the day, the boy says he might like a story... if it's about a cat.

I found this rather underwhelming. The boy's insistence that he didn't like stories became grating after a while. The pictures seemed uninspiring.

This might appeal to cat lovers, and those who enjoy stories within stories. Quite frankly, though, I think this could've worked just as well without the words; at least then, we wouldn't have had to hear the boy be so negative.

I Do Not Like Stories was a fun book for the young readers! Especially for someone who loves cats!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.