I will start out by saying I was drawn to this book by it's cover. I absolutely love the vintage art style used on these pages, and the message is a great lesson to teach our next generation. That said I had expected a fun little story my 6 year old would enjoy to thinking this would be nice for my 10 year olds environment science class. The storyline was a catalyst for a scientific conversation and then once the lesson ended the story was quickly brought to an end. I would have preferred this to either read more childish storylike or more preteen science text, the two combined made it a bit disjointed for me.

I must confess to falling for the cover of this one. I didn't even read the description, and just assumed it was a picture book. Surprise! What I got was a charming, quirky, and rather distressing lesson in the dangers of introducing non-native species to new environments

Told in graphic novel format, this is the tale of David Lyall, his pet cat, Tibbles, and the mess they made when they moved to remote Stephens Island off the northernmost tip of New Zealand. While David began work as the new lighthouse keeper, his feline pal got up to some mischief.

An interesting look at the past, and a stern warning for the future. For middle-grade readers and up.

I appreciate the story this book is trying to recount, and I thoroughly enjoyed the art style. However this book didn’t wholly work for me. Despite its name and message at the end, I felt there wasn’t much time spent on Tibbles the cat. And the story itself felt rushed and a bit scattered - especially as it tried to explain scientific/art processes and introduce several persons and major events so quickly. This book could have benefited from a longer format and more focus on Tibbles the cat and more discourse their effect on the environment.

Thanks NetGalley and Albatros Media for and ARC of this book.

(Mostly) true story of how a cat single-handedly caused a small, flightless bird species to go extinct. I say "mostly" because after doing a little research, it turns out there were multiple feral cats that contributed to the sudden and disastrous population decline. I was not a huge fan of the art style.

Cute vintage-style art and an important story. This book reminds readers of the impact that non-native species can have on an environment. A serious subject, presented in a light manner.

A great non-fiction book for young readers.

Tibbles the Cat is a story about a cat and his human who traveled to New Zealand in 1894, find a new bird species, and then Tibbles eats them all up so they're extinct. This book is a political statement on environmental / animal issues, and while I agree with the message of the story, it isn't particularly suited to the young audience this book is aimed at.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

This one just didnt work for me. I did enjoy the illustrations. However, the main story just seemed to get pushed aside and then forgotten till the very end. I wish there had been more focus on Tibbles and less tangents throughout.

The art style is somewhat reminiscent of 'Hark, A Vagrant!' and was a pleasant whimsical nod to the 19th-century content. I wasn't thrilled with the Euro-centrism of it all, in 2023, but my main issue was that the overall 'message' was kind-of shoehorned onto the last page, about keeping housepets from decimating wildlife. Up until that point, it seemed to be a book celebrating naturalists (which seemed a little problematic in its glorification of these men who built their careers and collections on imperialist, appropriative foundations).

A charming and fun story about a cat and his owner that discover a rare species of bird and accidentally leads to the extinction of said rare bird. This was a neat story that was both funny and has a deep lesson. The artwork is giving a cozy and fun tone and the story itself was unique.

*Thanks Netgalley and Albatros Media for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*