Cats & Cat Family, General & Miscellaneous Holidays

Cats

Name: Cats
Author: Seymour Simon
ISBN: 9780064462549

by Seymour Simon

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Overview

How much do you know about your favorite feline friend?

Cats are fascinating, complex creatures. Since cats were first tamed more than 100,000 years ago, they have enchanted people with their elegant beauty and mysterious manner. But cats can also be playful and affectionate pets, death-defying acrobats, or ruthless hunters.

Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution to bring you an updated edition of his classic full-color photo-graphic introduction to these beloved animals.

Discusses the history, physical characteristics, behavior, and various breeds of cats, and provides basic information on caring for one as a pet.

Synopsis

Cats are a perennial favorite with young kids. Filled with great tips and guidelines for kids getting their first cat. Lavishly illustrated with full-color, up-close photographs, Seymour Simon captures cats as they hunt, give birth, and play.

Ages: 5 - 9

Susan Hepler, Ph.D. - Children's Literature

Joining over 200 science books by Simon, this vibrantly illustrated informational book includes charming and unique photographs plus text, which informs and delights. Out from the endpapers stare four different cats with the intensity of ones about to pounce. Simon contrasts the behavior of cats with dogs, gives a bit of the history of domesticated cats, highlights the unique characteristics of cats such as their ability to see in the dark, their great climbing and jumping abilities, and their quirky eating habits. Simon also includes information on birth (with a mention of mating), the science behind feline characteristics, and a bit about the over 100 cat breeds currently in existence. One page suggests things to think about before acquiring a cat as a pet. The "awww" factor is high in this book, but the winsome pictures are backed by plenty of good information. There are no picture captions, index, or notes to assist report writers, but otherwise it is a thoroughly enjoyable look at cats and kittens. 2004, HarperCollins, Ages 5 to 9.

About the Author, Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon has been called "the dean of the [children's science book] field" by the New York Times. He has written more than 250 books for young readers and is the recipient of the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books, the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people, and the Educational Paperback Association Jeremiah Ludington Award. He is also the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature. Mr. Simon lives in Great Neck, New York.

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Editorials

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Intended primarily as introductions for prospective pet owners, these books will please even those who already own a cat or dog. The striking color photos, including many close-ups, create a feeling of intimacy. Some of the images show the animals in active postures, such as the one of a cat tumbling through the air, headed toward a cushion. Both books begin with a historical look at their subjects, tracing how each species was domesticated. They then explain basic physiological features and behavioral traits, such as body language, birth, and behavior of the young. The final pages discuss characteristics of individual breeds and the responsibilities of pet owners. In his usual fashion, Simon succeeds in addressing his topic in clear, easily understood vocabulary without writing down to children. The smoothly flowing texts are divided into spreads dealing with broad subjects, but they are not labeled as distinct sections. This approach will encourage children to read the book from cover to cover. Dogs has an outline of different breeds, some of which are illustrated with a small portrait. Readers will thoroughly enjoy every word and every photograph in both titles. Combine them with Ruth Berman's My Pet Dog (Lerner, 2000), which features a child researching which dog breed to buy and then raising the young animal.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A matched pair of vintage Simons explores humankind's favorite house pets. Each covers, respectively, cat and dog physiology, infancy and kitten- and puppy-hood, the various different types of cats and dogs (the former organized by hair length, the latter by breed group), and ends with a brief discussion of pet care. They adhere to the well-established Simon format, matching striking photographs to lucid text; very few pictures have captions, however, which is annoying in books that devote so much space to discussing breed individuation. Where they're strong, however, is in the exploration of the biology of their subjects, delivering such morsels as, "You have five million smell cells in your nose. A German shepherd or a bloodhound has more than two hundred million . . . " (cats have 19 million), or, "Cats have whiskers on the chin, over the eyes, and on the backs of their front legs-not just on the upper lip." Solid, if not remarkable, offerings that provide just enough information for primary-graders without overwhelming. (Nonfiction. 5-8)