What a cute little book! This is great for people who have young children and cats. It told a story of growth and learning that all children can relate to. And the Art is beautiful!

I enjoyed the book. It's like a 'soft, warm fuzzy', nice simple drawings projecting/implying warmth/ease/kindness/heartfelt devotion......all good things.....nothing hard edged or aggressive about this....it's all 'peace/love/devotion/warmth/goodness'. It's a very simple, kind offering. I'm sure cat lovers or owners will especially like & relate to this. Young & older too, will like this!
I received a e ARC of the book from the author & Chantilly Cat Press via NetGalley, for review purposes....& this is my own fair/honest review.

This book had great illustrations; the colors were calming and the drawing were easy to understand.

The text and story were easy to ready. The story was understandable for a child. This book had a great message.

The simple and timeless story structure is appreciate.

We love George.

This is such a sweet, cozy book. It would be perfect for reading to a child who can't fall asleep, or who is feeling upset with its simple, soothing sentence structure and repetitive cadences. The illustrations are soft and plain, as well as comforting. The message, if there is one, is about the pleasure quiet and recognizing good moments, and the sort of love a cat gives. The end of the book also has a bit of information at a young reader's level about how much cats understand and express love which matches the more complicated literature on the subject. My only quibble is that about 2/3 of the way through I noticed that the text mentions a "Carol" that I don't remember having been introduced to (and if I don't, a young reader may not either).

I have already purchased a copy for my friend's cat-loving child.

Very cute, I would buy it for younger familiy members and friend's kids if it was available in my native language.

*english is not my first language*

I LOVED this little book, it's so cozy, makes you want to curl up in bed with your cat. It's so cute and warm. And, you actually learn things about cats at the end, which is great.
ten out of ten

Super upset about this one because as a cat lover and someone who had grown up with cats my entire life, I was so excited to read this. But when I saw the images I immediately thought they looked as AI generated. Looking into other reviews confirmed this. This would have had so much potential if the artwork had been created ethically. I’m upset about the wasted opportunity, deeply.

I cannot in my honest opinion recommend this to anyone.

This illustration/ children's book is a lighthearted and cozy read that required no mental effort throughout. I love anything cat related so I really enjoyed the cute cat drawings.
There is no plot to this, it really is just more of a calm, observational illustration book. I would probably read this to a child to get them to sleep as it was relaxing for me. I read this in under half an hour so it isn’t a time consuming story, which is nice.
Something to note is there were a couple perspective changes throughout. It switches from the narrator to the cat’s own perspective and then back to the narrator. I think it would have been better if it just stuck to one because then it would have flowed better when reading it.
Overall I liked it. Nothing really stood out to me but I was content with it by the end. I wasn’t underwhelmed so I consider that a good thing in my opinion.

What George Thinks When He Sits Still is a delightful picture book filled with lovely pages of cats and their thoughts.

On the surface this is a lovely book - the cats are cute and the text is gentle text about the art or being still and in the moment, and the soft gentle times while the cat feels safe and loved.

**BUT** Despite the author's assertion this was created in Adobe Illustrator, there are some inconsistencies in the graphics that make it appear AI generated - eg the feet without a body in the bed; tails outside boxes, tails completely separated from the cat's body, odd proportions, or a tail becoming a foot and so on. They're not noticeable on first glance, and I'd *really* like the give the illustrator the benefit of the doubt here, but it does look a bit suspicious. (The cat's general shape changes throughout the book, and I'd like to hope this is an attempt to make George an "everycat" that represents the majority of reader's pets.)

~This is a review of a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~

As cat lovers (our family shares our home with four meows), my son and I were excited to read this sweet little book about George and his quiet reflections. The tone is gentle, the vibe cozy, and the illustrations are cute, making this a light and enjoyable read for anyone who appreciates cat-themed stories.

That said, the book felt a bit chaotic at times, like it wasn’t quite sure who its audience was. Some parts feel kid-focused, others more adult and poetic. The artwork is soft and consistent, though a few repeated poses and oddly placed tails made me wonder if there might have been digital assistance, despite the “100% human-made” note. (for the record, I personally don’t have an issue with this, but it has been a topic of debate in other reviews across platforms)

Still, it’s a charming idea, and we enjoyed flipping through it together. A cozy, quirky read, especially for fellow cat people.

This book was super cute! Perfect for readers who are looking for a cat themed gift during the holidays!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was really cute. I felt that the images were very warm and would be a good bedtime story without getting the reader too excited by tons of bright, flashy colors. I enjoyed at the end where it discussed the facts regarding cats think in memories rather than thoughts and the theories that neuroscientist have been considering. It made the story feel authentic to what science currently believes.

I felt that the story jumped quite a bit. In the middle of the book, there was a cute section about how George remembers soft things like being told that he is a good boy by his owner and how he remembers that more than food. Then the next page is him wondering why people wear shoes. I think the idea was that his thoughts jump around much like we assume cats' thoughts jumps around, but the story did not feel fluid. The end of the story discusses love, so I feel like it all of the actions that make George George could have built up to the love he has for his owner.

I know that the author/illustrator mentioned that all the illustrations are created by them in adobe, but there are a few that may make people assume AI such as George' Favorite Things there is a cat with only three limbs and no tail, and there is no torso or head in the bed when George dozes on top of feet.

Overall, this is a very cute story.

This is one of those rare moments where I truly regret that I can't give a book 10 stars! It was such a cozy, delightful, and heartwarming read. It made me smile, it made me think, it sparked my curiosity — but most of all, it helped me breathe easier and truly relax.
The art is absolutely phenomenal — it’s so beautiful I genuinely want a print copy for my shelf!
One thing that could be improved is the layout. At times, it felt a bit haphazard and borderline chaotic, which disrupted the reading flow slightly.
Other than that, this book was perfect, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read it.

Unfortunately, there's many reasons to believe this is AI generated 'work' - the continuinity errors, the repetitive style of the text, and the author's linked social media accounts showing zero history of any previous artwork, either personal or professional. I can't in good conscience give this a star rating of any kind.

AI tools steal the work of real artists to produce soulless derivatives, and it's not only insulting and unethical to try and profit off them in this way, the lack of quality is obvious.

I enjoyed this lovingly and adorably illustrated picture book by Caroline Bell. The theme of mindfulness gives the reader a gentle and charming reminder to notice all that’s good and calm and sweet around them.

Very cute art style. It's not your usual children's book. I'm rating it not as high as I would like because I found the story to be just random thoughts with no theme or pattern. George is either a deep-thinking human or a regular house cat, which makes the book feel like a collection of multiple short stories instead of a single coherent one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for this ARC.

I thought the illustrations were very cozy and warm. The book was enjoyable. I enjoyed hearing George’s thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of What George Thinks by Caroline Bell for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was an adorable read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a contemplative and mindful tale that is filled with cute illustrations and a story that would suit anyone. I was not sure what to expect from this story and I am so glad that I took a chance on it. The author/illustrator did such a great job of creating a tale on “being still.” This story would be great for any audience as the illustrations are adorable and connect well to the text and that story could be appreciated by both young children and older and even adult (like myself) readers. I could see this story being incorporated into a middle school or even high school lesson on being mindful and taking the time to just be and breathe. It is a very timely tale and the fact that it is from the perspective of a cat makes it less preachy and more relevant, timeless, and ageless. This book would be a great gift for anyone and I think it’s a must-read and must-purchase for all animal lovers, anyone looking for a calm read, and for libraries serving any age and demographic. I would definitely read another of Caroline Bell’s books again!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc


While I expected a sweet picture book about a cat, all we really got was the same sentiment over and over. And upon further review there are claims that the art in this book is created with AI, I went back and there are some clear examples of this- feet in a bed with no torso or upper body, three front legs on the cat.
I can’t in good conscience give this book a review higher than two stars.

Incredibly sweet. I loved the illustrations as well! Kissing my cat as I write this. It’s a quick read to warm up our day. Here’s to more books about cats 🩷