Cute little book! I know for a fact that my own child would love this book as a cat lover. I loved that it was told from the cats point of view. Very cute! Would definitely recommend.

As a Children's Librarian and Cat Lady, I am always drawn to cute picture books of cats. This book about Queen Fiona of Apartment 4C was super adorable, from the 'day in the of life of a pampered cat' storyline to the cutesy illustrations. This will sure to be a hit with younger readers.

A cutesy children’s book that reminds kids that who you are is more important than how you look.

Fiona is the resident queen of apartment 4C, but she has a problem. Despite how fast and smart and considerate she is, her people only comment on how she looks! Fiona and the Peculiar Praise takes the reader through Fiona’s day, and her raising frustrations with the compliments she receives.

This is a perfect children’s book. It had beautiful, eye catching pictures and a nice message. Plus, it follows the life of a very energetic cat, which is always a bonus for my young readers.

I really can’t say enough good things about the art-style. It’s soft and colorful without being too busy. It’s extremely well-done and sure to be a win for checkouts.

A delightfully illustrated children's book with a beautiful message about a persons content being more important than their appearance.
Fiona, the cat, loves her family but feels like they only notice how cute and adorable she is. She desires for them to see that she is fast and strong ; so much more than just her looks.
This will be a welcome addition to our library's catalogue.

2.5 stars
⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and 4U2B Books & Media for this eARC. I confirm this review is honest and that all thoughts are my own.

This was a cute little book. I was drawn to it initially as I wanted to see how it addressed praise and what it meant by ‘peculiar praise’. As a parent, I am more aware of how I speak to my son and like to learn about new ways to incorporate positive praise in a productive way to help fuel his inner dialogue and self-worth.

As a society, we often give praise to people in regards to their appearance without realising and this book lightly addresses that via the Cat (Fiona) and how easily it can be to say certain words we think are positive, but in actual fact lack depth and true value. Confidence and acceptance (including self-acceptance) shouldn’t revolve around how ‘pretty’ and ‘lovely’ a child is. It is helpful and more valuable for them see their self-worth in more creative and different ways.

Although this did give an example of an alternative word the Cat preferred as praise, compared to the surface level compliments that were initially given throughout the book, it would have been nice to have had a few more. I did however enjoy the Cat’s inner thoughts and there were parts in the book that did make me giggle. The illustrations were also very sweet and not too overpowered by colours which can sometimes be too bright and intense - contributing to children being overstimulated.

Sadly the ebook had some formatting errors which stopped the flow of the book for me a few times as it was difficult to decipher some context of things. This could have been a software/conversion issue with the file itself, but it did sadly affect my overall experience of the book. In that case, I would say this would be better read in paperback form and not via an eReader unless these formatting errors are resolved.

Omgosh!! This was so cute. It highlights that you can be beautiful and smart too, and just because you are one doesn't mean that you aren't the other! Love this so much.

This is such a cute story! The illustrations are adorable and the overall message is very positive and clear. The clever way the kitty wanted to be seen for more than her beauty really resonates and I think it’s conveyed beautifully. The ending was also perfect, because she did in fact get the compliment she wanted without having to ask for it. Really cute message in a beautiful story.

Fiona is a cat who lives with her family in apartment 4C. She’s smart and hardworking, but everyone only notices her beauty, not her talents.
This is a very sweet story that teaches children that beauty isn’t the most important thing—what truly matters is the kind of person you are!
There were also lots of funny moments. I also liked that the cat actually let the mice go after catching them.
The illustrations are incredible—they complement the story perfectly!

Thank you to NetGalley and 4U2B Books & Media for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a cute and silly children's book with a great message about how you are more than just how cute and beautiful you are. I appreciate that the message isnt heavy handed and its more naturally intertwined within the story. I do love an in your face message as well, don't get me wrong, but sometimes it's more fun for little ones when the message comes hand in hand with a cute story about a silly kitten yah know?

The artwork is another great one with a pretty color scheme. I, for sure, give this book bonus points for using bigger words that will encourage a larger vocabulary as well. I appreciate it being a children's book geared for toddlers, that also treats them like they are capable of understanding more than overly simplified speach. Overall both the toddler and I liked this one, and I can see it being read again ❤️

Fiona is five stars and kid approved. if you have kitten lover kiddos, Fiona is sure to be a hit. truthfully, I hope they make Fiona into a series. we will be adding them all to our carts, especially as my kitten lovers learn to read.

the book has a very sweet message. we are more than our bodies. we are more than our looks. we are funny, strong, and smart (although my daughter declared that 'fiona is not as smart as me.'). and those illustrations are truly to die for - absolutely stunning!

I will be perfectly honest, I only snagged this book because the cat of the cover looked like my childhood cat that my mom got when I was 2 and lived until I was 21. My two-year-old self named him fluffy, and as we grew up together, his favorite place to sleep was on my head in the middle of the night or on my computer in the afternoon every time I tried to do homework.

So imagine my surprise/joy/bittersweet sentiments when Fiona did the exact same things in this story? 🥹

Anyways. On to the actual point.

This was a really fun read. The art is wonderful! And I like the lesson it teaches. It can be burdensome when the only complements you receive are on your looks and not on the things you have accomplished. This was written in a way easy for kids to understand. Of course it's nice to compliment someone's looks if you really mean it, but it also feels nice to acknowledge when something has done something to help you. I imagine this story would be a hit in library/classroom reading times. It's fun, beautiful, and great for starting a nice discussion!

While I like the message and feel it's an important one to impart on the youth, it felt forced to the point of pandering. Fiona's frustration with being labelled as 'pretty' starts immediately, whereas it should've built up as more and more people ignored her skills. More focus on her skills and less on her frustration would've been a nice 'show don't tell' route.

Fiona is a typical cat in so many ways. She is always in the way, and demands attention. She doesn't, however, want to be thought of as "cute". Read this very sweet book to find out what cats really want from their humans! Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable short story to children about a cat, who's up to mischief. I'm not a cat person, but I definitely like Fiona a lot. The illustrations are gorgeous, and it has a sweet message about beauty not being everything. I definitely would read this to a child I don't have.

This book is a cute reminder for kids that looks are not a character trait.
Unfortunately the cat was so cute I couldn't take her seriously.
Thank you for the digital review copy.

I am a SUCKER for cats so of course I wanted to read this one right away! First and foremost, it was so FUNNY. I adored the humor and it was incredibly cat-like if I do say so myself. Also the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous! But lastly, and most importantly, I loved the message! And I love that it was the little girl who delivered it: there is far more to a person than appearance and compliments based on appearance are nowhere near as meaningful as those based on things that matter: such as Fiona's intelligence! I think that's definitely a message little readers everywhere need and I'm so excited to see a book like this available!

Fiona is a beautiful kitty...and so much more!! This is a great story for young girls who tire of hearing "Aren't you the cutest?" or "You're so adorable". And would rather hear "You're so smart!" or "She's the strongest person I know!". This is a unique message for a picture book. The illustrations in the book are light, bright and absolutely stunning. I think this book will be a crowd pleaser.

Title: Love the title! It's fun and playful just like Fiona – and a bit of foreshadowing!

Story: I LOVE this story for children! Fiona is a sassy, silly, determined, smart, individualistic and spunky cat. She's got a soft, fluffy, frilly, girly and princess like appearance and aesthetic, but it doesn't define her! However, those around her use language that makes her feel undermined, under appreciated and unseen. She is frustrated that all her actions – which she see's as strong, fast and empowering, are given soft, delicate and appearance based feedback, reaction and praise.

Her perception of herself vs. that of others confuses and frustrates her.

I think the story does a phenomenal job at touching on 2 major lessons:

1. We are more than our appearance, especially girls. While we may be cute, pretty, delicate or soft – that doesn't mean we can't also be fast, strong, determined and innovative. Appearance doesn't define us, and we shouldn't accept others diminishing our contributions to how we look. It also breaks the sterotype that people are either attractive and "dumb" or "ugly" but really smart.

2. When we feel frustrated or misunderstood, and we don't know how to express ourselves, or like we aren't being heard when we do try to express it. I think many children relate to this, as they are learning themselves, their emotional regulation and how to express it.

I also love that the littler girl is the one to point out how smart Fiona is to the adults and help them to change their perspective and view Fiona in a way that she feels appreciated and seen.

Writing: The writing is so cute! It definitely gives personality and character to Fiona! It's also dynamic and helps portray the words being said and the emotion behind them in the way that they're being treated typographically, and it's really fun! I love the language used and the rhythm of the story as it unfolds. It's written well for the audience it's for.

Illustrations: The illustrations are as phenomenal as the story. They're rich, engaging, expressive and very emotive. I love the little bubbles that build on the story (like the mouse receiving the escape route). It's fantastic.

Overall: This is so well written and so well illustrated. The message is clear, it unfolds logically and is easy to understand for a child. I would highly recommend this to anyone with young children, or an elementary school teacher.

Thank you NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book is a nice reminder that we are all more than how we appear on the outside. Sure, there is nothing wrong with being handsome, pretty, or cute, but imagine if that was all anyone ever noticed about you and not the work you put in. This is told from the point of view of a cat which adds humor to an important reminder.

A very cute little book about a cat named Fiona, who wants her people to know that she isn’t just pretty, she is a clever cat too. I loved how the little girl in this book was the one who told her parents that she loves that Fiona is a very intelligent cat. This pleased Fiona immensely. Cats are not just beautiful to look at, they are also quite clever!
Great book for cat lovers of all ages!