Chloe & Cartoon: Vol. 1

Gr 3-6–Chloe is a girl who knows what she wants, and what she wants is a kitten. Her parents take her copious hints and arrange to adopt a sweet little cat as a Christmas gift for their feline-obsessed daughter. Chloe (alternately called “Misty” by her mom, which is confusing at first) is over the moon when she discovers the fluffy gray kitten on Christmas morning and eventually settles on the name Cartoon. While Cartoon settles into his home gradually, moving from the garage to Chloe’s room and finally gaining the freedom to roam the whole house, silliness ensues. Chloe loves cats but doesn’t know much about them—she’s surprised with the amount of attention Cartoon needs and a little annoyed about him constantly stealing her bed or her chair. Her poor dad is oblivious to Cartoon’s needs, and the two hilariously struggle to get comfortable with each other. Interspersed between stories are cat facts, pointers for getting cats settled in their new home, and other helpful “tips from Chloe.” This episodic book is well paced, and readers can skip around the nonfiction portions to stick with the funny bits if that’s more their flavor. Chloe’s age isn’t well defined here, but other volumes of the four-part “Chloe” series place her in early high school, making this a fine selection for tween collections looking for safe humor and realistic situations.