Thank you NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight/Ketebe Publishing and Abeer Al-Taher for a copy of the eARC.

This book is cute. However, there are parts that made me wince a little (like leaving the cat at a butcher shop). I know for children, they probably won't even make the link between leaving an animal at a butcher shop.... but I also don't know if I would read this to my 4 year old nephew. He's currently at his most curious phase and will probably ask a bunch of questions like what is a butcher shop? why are there sausages? Is it to feed the cat? I also know he'd probably want to skip the pages the next time after learning what a butcher shop is actually for. I would say this is probably a little more suitable for older children.

Aside from the issue above, I think it's a quaint little book for learning that bonds form even when you may not notice it. I also find the message at the end very lovely - you may wander far away from home or get lost, but home will always be there when you are ready to return. The art is also simplistic, but also very colorful. I love how the illustrator uses blue and green hues which are usually quite calming.

One other issue I had with the book is that the font is a little small. It was even harder to read on NetGalley because of the size. I would think with a children's book, especially one you may read to children, a bigger font is probably better.

This was an okay read with a cute premise and some enjoyable moments. However, I was surprised by how dark the story became as it progressed, which felt somewhat unexpected given the younger target audience. Some of the themes and events may be difficult or unsettling for younger children, so I would recommend this one with that in mind.

The Naughty Cat Moves In is a beautifully illustrated children’s book originally published in Arabic. This started out fun and light-hearted but took a couple of turns that left me feeling conflicted. On one hand, the story could be interpreted as a sweet, exaggerated tale of friendship. On the other hand, I can’t help but be troubled by the more literal message that there is something funny about abandoning your pets when they are naughty. Am I overthinking it? Probably. But it’s enough to give me pause when deciding whether or not to read this book to small children. That being said, the illustrations are so dang gorgeous! One more teeny-tiny bit of constructive criticism: the text is difficult to read on some pages due to its small size and placement over top of the illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars for me.

This was definitely a weird little story, but in an interesting way. I liked the idea behind it and how the relationship between the man and the cat develops throughout the story. There’s something sweet about the companionship between them, even with the cat causing a little bit of chaos along the way.

I also really liked the colors and how well they complement the story. The illustrations have a warm feeling that fits the more quiet and gentle parts of the book really well.

My biggest issue was the text. I found the font a little too small, which made some of the pages harder to read. I think making the text a little bigger would have made the book easier to enjoy, especially for younger readers.

Overall, it was an interesting and different children’s story with some nice themes about friendship and companionship. It just wasn’t quite a favorite for me.

Loved the rhyming that immediately draws readers in. Al-Taher paints a sweet picture, at first, making readers sympathize with the poor cat.. before long, the older man decides he does not want a cat and everything they bring. But how does one un-home a cat? Their grand adventures begin as they share explore the world, make memories, fish in the ocean... some may even say bond. Definitely a good warning to research before adopting a pet because they may change more than you bargained for!

Scared me for a minute with that butcher shop 😅

Thank you to Publisher Spotlight and NetGalley for this Arc.

This was such a cute story about the friendship between an old man and a cat.
I can definitely see myself reading this one for storytime and the kids being really into it.
The illustrations were very beautiful as well.

An old man lets a lonely cat into his house and day after day, they sit together companionably and enjoy being together. Except---the cat is also incredibly mischievous! The day that the old man comes home to find his house upside down, though, he tries to rehome the cat.

The cat comes back and the old man finally takes him to the ends of the earth, meaning to leave him. He can not, however, and the cat leads him back home.

"The Naughty Cat" is funny, moving ,and almost tearjerking all at once. Children would surely love it.

I think this book is based on our cat--

Sometimes you CAN tell a book by its cover! And so it is with The Naughty Cat Moves In, which is just as whimsical as you’d think. Written by Abeer Al Taher and illustrated by Maya Fidawi, a lonely man adopts a pitiful little cat. But the little black cat proves as naughty as the title implies. This picture book, with its great story and even more magical illustrations, is great fun for young and old alike.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Publisher Spotlight and Ketebe Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This cat-loving reader adored this picture book. The illustrations won me over from the cover to the last page. If I used this at story time, I’d have the cat lead the old man back home following each step it took to get so far away.

Only a very jaded reader will not shed a tear over this children's story (also eminently suitable for adults), which begins with a heartwarming surprise, descends into trouble and rejection, then heartbreak, and finally reverses the plot and friendship wins out!

A cute little children's book about bonding and trying and failing to let go. While the book was cute, I think it could have done a tad better with the rhyming for the younger ones. Other than that, super cute!

We enjoyed this story but the ending was a little underwhelming. I guess we were hoping it would end with the cat still being a little menace.

The Naughty Cat Moves In by Abeer Al Taher is a simple, humorous story about the complicated relationship between a man and the mischievous cat he brings into his home.

At first, the companionship is welcome, but the cat soon begins causing trouble and turning the man’s home upside down. Eventually, the frustrated man decides the best solution is to take the cat far away. As you can probably imagine, nothing goes quite according to plan. Beneath all the mischief is a sweet story about the bond that can develop between a person and a pet, even when that pet tests every last bit of patience.

For me, the greatest strength of the book is Maya Fidawi’s expressive, caricature-like illustrations. They bring much of the humor and heart to the story, particularly in the interactions between the man and his very naughty cat. There is a warmth in the artwork that helps communicate the affection underneath the man’s frustration.

I struggled more with the English text. The Naughty Cat Moves In was translated into English, and I wonder whether some of the rhythm of the original story was lost in that process. Portions of the English text rhyme while others do not, creating an uneven cadence that made the story feel somewhat choppy when read aloud. Because rhyme is particularly difficult to carry successfully from one language into another, I think the English edition may have flowed more naturally if it had committed to unrhymed prose rather than attempting to preserve rhyme in only certain places.

Still, the heart of the story comes through. The illustrations successfully capture both the comedy of living with a mischievous pet and the tenderness of loving an animal even when it drives you absolutely crazy. Cat owners in particular may recognize a little bit of their own homes, and their own naughty cats, in these pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher Spotlight for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This story is adorable! I could tell by the cover that I would enjoy it, and I was right. It tugged at my heart.
Who doesn't love a story about an older gentlemen and his pet? My son (5 years old) if also going to like this story.

This was such a fun, quirky read! I loved how strange and unpredictable the story was, and it definitely had its own unique charm. There were plenty of moments that made me smile, and I enjoyed the humor and creativity throughout. While a few things could have been explored a little more, I still found myself enjoying the experience. It was a refreshing change from my usual reads, and I'm glad I picked it up. Definitely a solid four-star read!

This was very weird, in a good way. It didn't really feel like a children's story, though. The man is annoyed with the cat and keeps trying to leave it somewhere where it won't be able to come back, but the cat comes back every time, until the man realizes he needs the cat too.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

The entire story I kept thinking "but cats know how to find their way home" so I am so glad that came into play at the end of the story. Such a sweet/spicy tale of love and companionship.