Meow Is Not a Cat - Paperback

by Kelly Tills (Author), Max Saladrigas (Illustrator)

A wild story about being different, for ages 4-8.

Meow Is Not Cat is a flight of folly starring a cynical cat, monkeys, butt jokes, a banana cannon, and a kid named Meow. Many stories about neurodiverse kids feature adults "correcting" them. In this story, Meow changes an adult's perspective.

Meow Is Not Cat is a completely goofy story, guaranteed to make kids laugh. With a cynical cat, wild monkeys, butt jokes, and a banana cannon, even pre-readers will love shouting out their favorite parts as you read aloud. Nestled in the laughs is a lesson on how embracing different interpretations of the world can yield fabulous results.

"A creative youngster solves a field-trip problem in this picture book about valuing what makes a person unique.

[...] Meow's teacher, Ms. Snickety, believes that Meow doesn't listen; "I just listen differently," Meow explains. On a field trip to see wildlife, the teacher gives each child a banana to offer monkeys, who take every single banana-until Meow, who believes that "sharing is caring," takes the fruit back in an epic chase and eventually uses a cannon to fire the fruit skyward so everyone can have one. Tills offers a celebration of kids whose brains work differently. Meow is coded as neurodivergent, though it's never discussed in such terms; the idea that Meow approaches things differently than others do, though, comes through clearly. The author uses short sentences and accessible vocabulary in Meow's first-person narration, which feel authentic. Saladrigas' cartoon-style, full-color art perfectly matches the text's whimsical tone, even incorporating an imagined duck and dinosaur into Meow's adventure. The iconic yellow cat-hat adds an extra level of expression with changing ear positions.

An appealingly offbeat book with a strong message about appreciating unusual thinking."