This is such a sweet read.
It's short enough to read in a short time but very sweet and insightful and beautifully illustrated.

gentle, cozy, and warm reminder to sit still and be aware of those around you. wonderful easy read accompanied by soft and comforting photos.
i’m sure this would be a wonderful kids book, teaching them of awareness, but also the importance of self analysis.

also, gentle reminder to hug your cat!

When I picked this one up, I thought it would be a cute children's book that would give me a fun time and something to enjoy. On the contrary, it really has me sitting here reflecting on how moments of stillness aren't a lack of something happening but rather us as beings being present, grounded and really sitting with our thoughts, feelings and surroundings. Even when you're not doing something monumental, you're still here, still sitting in quiet, observant. Always filled with an emotion, a thought, love, content, or anxiety. George shows you the importance of stillness. How reflective, healing and precious it can be. The illustrations are the cutest I've ever seen, so soft and cosy, it felt like a warm hug that surprisingly made me reflect on a lot of things while also going "aaawwww" at George and the illustrations. Enjoy the little things in life, those small moments that remind you that you are human, that you are loved and that there are so many things in life that you enjoy.

My thanks to Chantilly Cat Press for a review copy of this book via NetGalley

A beautiful picture book with a great aesthetic and palette which I liked very much and also which captures a sentiment perhaps appreciated even more by older readers (though one valuable and relevant for children too in the current times)—that of sitting in silence and stillness and appreciating what’s around one and what one has—nature, the people who love us, and just the comfort and warmth we have at any given moment.

In the book we get a look at what George the Cat might be thinking or feeling when he sits still: the beauty of the quiet and of silence, something that can bring about happiness of its own kind. He might pick up on his human’s musing on the flowers or he might contemplate the wind, or he might even nap, comfortable and secure in the love that surrounds him. He watches a moth at different times of the day or simply enjoys the softness and warmth of the bed. He imagines the purr of the stars and the smell of warm milk or sometimes he simply sits beside his human, each conscious of the other’s love.

The palette, largely beige/cream (George is a ginger tom) with other colours in muted shades gives the same gentle, comforting vibe as the book and its sentiment (of love, of safety, of care) as we move from everyday moments to the world of imagination and dreams, between day and night and times in between.

This book is simple but subtly puts across its message, one I hope the intended readership picks up on too: that one needs to be still and in silence at times, simply noticing the small everyday things around us, whether the flowers or the ticking of the clock. Likewise, escaping into the world of dreams and the imagination has its own rewards, too, bringing about happiness of another kind. Amidst all the noise, bombardments and overloads of information, and brightness and distractions of the world today, this is an invaluable message for all of us: to spare a few moments for silence and enjoy the treasures it offers, and those unveiled by just being with your thoughts.

A beautiful book and sentiment which fills one with a great deal of warmth.

p.s. The author also shares with us the real George’s favourite things, among them Cat TV (the window) and the boxes!
A lot of reviews have suggested that the art here is AI, which may be, but I still thought it was very cute, with a great palette and incorporates a wonderful sentiment

Hi, I’m Nilima—a cat mom who reads and tries to practice stillness. I just finished reading this book during my work break. It’s short and you can read it in no time. oh, how sweet and adorable this book is! What I loved the most about the book is the theme of it. Stillness—something I really want to embody.

George, the little ginger cat in this book sits still and thinks. Sometimes, he does nothing. And stillness makes life easier for him. He learns, he enjoys, he loves, he slow blinks at his human and he simply is. And honestly, like George, and like all the other cats, we humans also need to pause, take a deep breath, sit still, be quiet, wonder a little, or just do nothing. A moment of stillness? Something we need to have on daily basis.

That’s what George teaches us. And my cats teach me the same, every single day.

Now let me talk about the illustrations. Very charming. From start to finish, this book made me smile and warmed my heart. Loveyougeorge.

It's 3.5/5 stars!

This felt like a love letter to the author's cat. It was cute but i enjoyed the illustrations more. Maybe try making a coloring book? George is so cute

The illustrations are absolutely adorable and make the book in my opinion. I will bump my rating up to 4 basically based off of that. The book didn’t feel like it actually had a purpose but just kinda meandered with a few things thrown in to reference the title. If the illustrations weren’t a part of it I honestly probably wouldn’t recommend it:/

Edited to say I’m dropping my rating down because I’m seeing allegations that the artwork is AI which I do not support. The art is what makes the book because without it it’s just a stream of thoughts that don’t connect

This was very disappointing.
At first I thought this was the most adorable thing ever, but then things started feeling weird. The illustrations of George changed style from one page to the next, the three front paws, a leaf the same color as the cat's fur, the cat's fur color being all over the place, disembodied feet in the bed, tails where they should not be, and that's to name a few.
The text started off ok, but it felt weird and disjointed.

The author is credited as illustrator as well and when going to look them up, nothing.
I am aware that an artist can have multiple styles, but I own zines by over 10 artist that are more cohesive than this book.

When I first read this I was going to give it 5 stars. It's a love letter to cats and I love cats so it's obvious right?

I then looked at other reviews which suggested the illustrations were AI. I'll be honest, I didn't notice anything strange about the illustrations at first. So I read it again and unfortunately I also believe these illustrations are AI. There is no evidence anywhere online that Bell illustrated this book and no illustrator is listed for this book. There are a few discrepancies with the drawings and to date there doesn't seem to have been any response from Bell regarding the AI allegations. NetGalley has links to promotional content which include an Instagram page that appears to have been deleted, and a TikTok/Youtube account with an AI-generated video of cats (which has not been tagged as AI but very obviously is).

I don't believe AI should be used in creative spaces. More than happy to update this review if evidence is given regarding the illustrations.

Publishing date: 28.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

I am heavily mixed on this book.

First of all, while it was sweet and wholesome, it was very very rambly and repetitive. No plot, just vibes, but not the kind I enjoy.

Second, I suspect the art is AI. The cat changes in appearance every single page. Sometimes fluffy, sometimes short hair, sometimes an ash blonde color, other times orange. I get that different lighting and environments do change the look of a color, but not this much, and not in these environments. Also there are tails popping in and out of seemingly closed boxes, paws disappearing in the background, and feet bending backwards for the cat. I just get a really bad feeling about the art.

Third, if I were to recommend this book to someone I would not know who to recommend it to. Cat lovers might like it, but dint it lacks substance for the price, children might enjoy the art, but find other books more entertaining. Just a hard book to actually recommend.

Giving this two stars, and if the art isn't AI I might bump it up a little. But it is overall not really a book for me.

As I read this I got the feeling that the illustrations were generated by AI -- the cat changed in appearance in strange ways between different spreads and there were things that didn't make sense, like a tail coming around from behind a box when the cat is sitting inside the box. The cat often had a weird dead-eyed look as well, in a way that I've seen in AI. Disappointing! The writing was repetitive and there wasn't much to the story, either. Maybe I am wrong about the art but I think the fact that the illustrations are credited as "lovingly created by" the author, I suspect AI was involved. Also not sure who the target demographic is for this book, I don't think children would be too interested since there isn't much of a story.

Sweet in concept but didn’t work for me. The writing was repetitive with no real plot. The art felt inconsistent and possibly AI-generated, which was distracting. Not sure who this book is really for. Cute idea, but it fell flat.

Thank you Netgalley and author for providing this ARC!
Overall I think the idea of enjoying stillness and noticing the small moments is very lovely and can be comforting for younger and older audiences alike. I was drawn in by the title and the warm cover design and think this would fit well into the Children’s Fiction Genre. I enjoyed being invited to change my perspective and perception of the world, to notice simple moments around me. The “Cat Notes” were a great addition to ground the whimsy in a bit of educational and informative content.

I do have to say that even for a children’s book I found the writing at times repetitive and found it hard to continue reading due to seemingly disjointed parts of the book. This could be confusing for the children to follow.
After researching the book and author I have the same question as other reviews here: Is the art made with AI? I’d find this very upsetting because I personally don’t support AI in the creative field and thus also feel disappointed at the lack of transparency and answers from the author in this case.

Not at all what I was expecting. Didn’t pull me in, couldn’t see where it would fit on the bookshelf. Neither an exciting story nor an engaging picture book. Disappointing.

An absolutely adorable children's book featuring the happiest, coziest cat illustrations alongside text about what it's like to notice the good things in life while you sit quiet and still. Super peaceful and gentle!

a truly beautiful, mindful read. As a cat lover, this was an extremely sweet read. I found myself sitting with each page and not rushing through at my usual speed. I also enjoyed the space in the back for a list of your favourite things. Perfect for all ages - and would make a great gift!

This was the sweetest, quietest, coziest little book. I love George and hope there are more George books to come.

What George Thinks When He Sits Still, written and illustrated by Caroline Bell, is a lovely, lyrical storybook in which a cat named George shows the readers the importance of slowing down and living in the moment.
Bell skillfully tells a thoughtful tale that is needed in the racing world of today; a tale of peace, love, imagination, and appreciation of the people and things around you as you experience them. The illustrations beautifully support the story, and books feature in many of them as a gentle reminder of the magic found within pages. The list at the end of 'My Favorite (sic) Things to Think About' is a wonderful way to get readers - adults and children alike - to reflect on what they have read and on things, people, and pets that they love thinking about.
I'm happy to have received an ARC of the beautiful book #WhatGeorgeThinksWhenHeSitsStill from #NetGalley.

This was so cute and wholesome!!!!!

George's peace reminded me of the Latin term 'otium' or in French 'la farniente' which means 'the bliss of doing nothing' and I love that for George.
This book reminded me of all the small 'normal things we encounter in life that we barely notice anymore because of seeing it multiple times, I thank George for this cute reminder.

The illustration were beautiful in a whimsical way and I don't care if it's a children's book.

This was such a cute little book! I love the little writings and the art was so adorable. My only problem is that I'm not sure who this is aimed for... Kids or adults. The writing felt more like advice for advice, but the fact that there wasn't much writing and there was so much art made me feel like it was for kids. Either way, I think this book offers simple life lessons that everyone can learn something from!