So this was a sweet and cozy little book full of cheerful and loving messages from George to his Mom and the reader. I was going to leave a 5 star review until I saw another reviewer point out that the artwork was inconsistent. So I went back and re-read it and realized that in some illustrations George has stripes, in others he doesn’t, in some he’s dark orange and in others he is a light orange color which is very distracting. I hope the author didn’t produce the illustrations with AI as some other reviewers have stated. For now I’m leaving a 3 star review because the book is sweet but if more info comes about that this is at least partially made by AI then I will be changing my review to 1 star.

UPDATE: after further research and learning the author is also the publisher and that her Instagram account has been deleted, I am changing my review to 1 star. And also realizing in dome of the “artwork” George has an extra paw and an extra ear included which leads me to believe AI went into making this and not actual human talent.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.**

Disappointed in this read. When I say the cover, I thought it would be an adorable book. Sadly, this is a work clearly generated by AI. There are some parts of the book that don't make sense or are repetitive (the part about no toes moving being repeated 3 times back to back). The writing quality is bad. There is no story.

The illustrations were the giveaway that this is AI generated. The cat changes appearance many times, his tail is in places it shouldn't be, there is nobody in the bed other than their feet, and the cat is very big on that bed (is he on the bed? Under it? That bed only has 3 legs!). These are only just a few examples.

Overall, very disappointed by a book I would looking forward to enjoying.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

If I'm honest, this started cute and then gradually became disjointed and repetitive. I am not sure if it is AI as others have suggested, but even if it's not, the book could really use a reorg and another pass through with an editor to adjust the content. There is an easy way to edit this down to tell a story about the value of stillness or just a slice of life about George's quiet day. That said, if it is in fact AI, then I would suggest scrapping the whole thing.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Chantilly Cat Press for the opportunity to read this eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I'm crying at work. George needs his own coloring book. This will be great as a casual read for young ones, but honestly, I think many adults will feel at home in its pages. This will make you miss your cat so much you seriously consider leaving work for the day. I need this in print.

(Note: I did NOT leave work and I think George would be very proud of me for being so brave.)

The illustrations in this book were absolutely stunning - I'd decorate my walls with pictures of George if I could!
I felt like perhaps there were a few too many words in the book, and would have enjoyed it more if it were pared down to the bare bones!

This book is so cute, i was drawn to it by the adorable cover it it was just such a cute, cozy story. i personally love animals and it was such a sweet tribute to them. overall this might be a children's book but i found it perfect to just sit and have a few minutes of silence.

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I read this book—maybe cute illustrations of a kitty named George, and maybe something light and silly as well, both of which the book definitely delivered—but what I truly couldn’t have expected was the peaceful atmosphere the book manages to instil so easily with its words, nor the tears it brought to my eyes when it reminded me of my own cat who I lost recently. My heart was very full reading this book, and I found it very soothing. It manages to depict the different ways in which we can feel loved and make others feel loved through actions that don’t explicitly say I love you with words, but show it through behaviour and intentions. For anyone who’s ever had a cat, lost a cat, or is living with a fluffy feline, they will see their cat in George, and his actions, and that makes the book so much sweeter. To those without cats, I think this book is just as valuable because it can remind us to slow down and breathe, exist, without rushing about, and it’s a very wholesome and welcome message. Overall very sweet.

I really enjoyed this book. It show's how much love can be between a pet owner and the pet, might it be a cat, dog rabbit or anything else. It also shows that sometimes you don't have to think, just feel and even if you think, that you can see wonders in the little things around you. Not every thought needs to be about something important. I think this book is for children as well as adults to learn about thoughts and pets. The drawings were really cute.

Thank you to Netgalley and Chantilly Cat Press for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review

In her self-published book, Caroline Bell introduces us to her cat George, and we follow him as he sits still and thinks calmly, letting his imagination wander.

Aimed at children, this book shows you the benefits as being in the moment, of staying still, relaxing, and taking things in. You also learn some cat facts along the way.

It is a very sweet, relaxing book, and one that will benefit adults too as it is a short, easy read, perfect for helping you unwind.

What a lovely gem. I enjoyed to read every bit of it and the illustrations are amazing. As I'm a proud cat owner I can relate to a lot of it. Good work!

What George Thinks When He Sits Still by Caroline Bell offers a gentle and introspective look into the mind of George as he navigates his thoughts while sitting quietly. The book succeeds in capturing the often-overlooked beauty of mindfulness and the simple act of pausing, inviting readers to reflect on their own inner dialogues.

Bell’s writing is poetic at times, and the concept itself is quite charming — exploring how even moments of stillness are filled with vibrant mental activity. The illustrations (if applicable) add a soothing visual layer that complements the theme nicely.

However, the pacing can feel a bit slow, and some readers might find the narrative a little repetitive. While the book aims for a meditative tone, it sometimes struggles to fully engage, particularly for those looking for a more dynamic or varied reading experience. The philosophical undertones are thoughtful but could have been developed with more depth or nuance.

Overall, What George Thinks When He Sits Still is a calming read that will resonate with those interested in mindfulness and quiet contemplation, though it may not leave a lasting impression for everyone.

It was cute, cozy, and meditative. One can learn a lot from the the moods and observation from the POV of a relaxed kitty as the author managed to do with soothing verse and illustrations.

This was the cutest book!!! All the illustrations are so adorable and I was just so caught up in how simple, yet detailed they were.
And the story was super cute too!!!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this ARC!

Setting aside what I have read on Goodreads and Netgalley after the fact, I quite enjoyed What George Thinks When He Sits Still. I think we could all learn a lot from cats - their quietness, their stillness, and their sharp observations. Grab your favorite cat and have fun reading this little book. #meow

Cute, Funny, and heartfelt - “What George Thinks When He Sits Still” will make you want to sit on the couch with a cup of tea and just think for a while. It’ll make you appreciate the slow moments in life just like George does!

Let us all take a lesson from George and just slow down. Notice the movements of those around you, embrace the environment you are in, and just find a nice, warm slab of hardwood floor to sunbathe in.

A very quick and delightful read, Caroline Bell does a wonderful job of bringing readers into George's world and allowing them to ruminate in the comforts of cat life.

However, as other readers have noted, I became skeptical of the use of AI in this graphic novel when I noticed issues with the cat illustrations: missing paws, random paws, and tails sticking out of boxes. It was definitely a bummer when my suspicions were further heightened when other readers noted the same issues. It brought into question whether or not the author also used AI to write the graphic novel.

Tread carefully if you choose to pick up this graphic novel.

It’s such a cute book for any cat parents out there. I enjoyed reading and looking at those illustrations so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for an eARC copy!

What George Thinks When He Sits Still focuses on George the cat in the quiet moments of his life. In theory, this would have been a great book for me, but unfortunately it did not live up to my hopes for it. As I was reading through it, there was just something off that I wasn't entirely certain of. The text was all different sizes and the formatting was weird, especially the cat notes at the very end. Sometimes there were a number of pages in a row that were just illustrations, which would be cute if they weren't repeating images. Then I looked at some other reviews of the book and I was finally able to put my finger on what was going wrong: AI. Looking closer at the images it became apparent that the illustrations were made with AI. George does not have a consistent design throughout the book, sometimes he has three ears, his tail will be short and then long and then coming out of a plant or box instead of his body, and other times the illustrations were super repetitive in a way that just did not make sense. I don't condone the use of AI to illustrate books, so I cannot recommend this one and I don't think anyone should buy it.

This book was a super cute quick read. Nothing about this was very groundbreaking information, but the idea of this book had the potential to be something sweet.

I liked the message of being able to appreciate things in your life even when they don't seem like a big deal, and to appreciate the moments that might be overlooked. As a cat owner, this was something cute to read and think about these moments that I have with my cat.

One thing in this book I didn't like as much was the repetitiveness. The image of the cats and the color scheme (while cute) lacked a cohesive appearance, with the cat changing throughout the book despite being illustrations of the 'same' cat.

Definitely a new fav in terms of literature specifically for children, ironically I read this next to my 2 dogs cuddling on the couch and reading aloud. The 2 little furry guys seemed to enjoy hearing a bout George☺️