The illustrations in this book are absolutely precious. The story is cute especially with all the crazy things said instead of CATNIP MOUSE. I think it teaches a lot about playing together respectfully and also being able to move beyond misunderstanding and mistakes.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my, what a cute story! The illustrations are absolutely amazing. I loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My girls and I read Catnip Mouse together, and they were hooked from the very first page. They giggled at the silly rhymes, guessed what might come next, and were fully invested in Vera and Gipp’s friendship journey.

The playful word game woven into the story made this such a fun read-aloud, while the underlying message about compromise and kindness gave us a great jumping-off point for talking about friendship. The illustrations are lively and full of personality, perfectly matching the humor and heart in the text.

Catnip Mouse is the kind of book that works both as a silly, imaginative game and as a gentle reminder of how friends can work through disagreements. It’s also a wonderful SEL (social-emotional learning) book, offering opportunities to discuss empathy, cooperation, and different ways to play. We’ll definitely be reading it again—and maybe making up our own rhyming games inspired by Vera and Gipp.

I think this book would be appealing to young children. The colors are vibrant and the text appears as conversation. Characters are a dog and cat. Would get for my children!

An enjoyable play with words and the illustration compliments this comic. Simple plot but you'll give huge hugs to the author and artist after finishing this book.

The most effective children's books, in my view, operate on multiple levels, offering entertainment, education, and a sense of wonder. This book excels in all three aspects. It incorporates playful rhymes that captivate and engage young readers while teaching important lessons about friendship, apologizing, and sharing. Additionally, the artwork enhances the narrative, evoking a sense of wonder through its collage-like style that beautifully complements the unfolding story. Overall, this book is an exceptional choice for nurturing young minds.

This is a super cute book with very bright and funny illustrations. The vibes here are kind of like Elephant and Piggie - sparse wording and bold illustrations - but the dialog is more robust.

I'll avoid actual spoilers, but there is a point in the story where the two characters are throwing out phrases that rhyme. My 6-year-old laughed out loud at that part and insisted on reading it himself because it was funny - so major points for that.

My only two things I wasn't as fond of are a bit nitpicky. First, the font for the main dialog appears weird on the digital version - it almost looks like a default font from Word or something, not like a typical kids' book. And second, while the rhyming part was hilarious, there were several words that were far beyond a young kid's typical vocabulary, so unless a grownup explains what they mean, the child would have to rely on the illustration to understand. A few words that come to mind are grouse and louse - the illustrations were clear and funny, and obviously I get that we're trying to rhyme here, but depending on the child's ability to move past words they don't know in context, it could be a bit awkward to read.

Overall great and we really enjoyed it!

Vera the cat is having a great time playing with her catnip mouse. (What cat wouldn’t?) But Gipp the dog wants to butt in; things don’t end well. Can these two become friends again?

Love A.J. Smith’s illustrations more than the storyline, but the “magic” and the message that friends forgive were good.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful, humorous SEL book that shows how two friends navigate the ups and downs of friendship. Helps children understand how friendships work, including seeing things from your friend's point of view. The wonderful wordplay is perfect for teaching rhymes and near rhymes. Great for children to jump start their own imagination and join in the fun.

The illustrations were good. I didn't care for the story though. Maybe a young child would think it was funny.

Loved it. It was cute and funny. Well illustrated as well. I think the font could have been more childlike and fun though.

Thank you for the ARC. I wasn’t a big fan of how this book was set up with the words in bubble, like a comic book. However, the story itself had a nice message. One friend ruins the others toy and they talk through their dispute.

Review posted on Good Reads on July 25, 2025. Thanks to Net Galley and Kids Can Press for the ARC! This story was a great blend of friendship, feelings, and rhyming! The first character is playing alone and along comes their friend. The friend accidentally ruins the toy and attempts to conjure something else to replace it...instead of mouse blouse! Then, a dispute happens between the characters. The characters are able to discuss their feelings with each other to fix the problem. The illustrations really bring the rhyming words to life. This is a book that I would definitely read to my preschool classroom!