Title: Mrs. Katz was Troubled
Author: Bob McElheney
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-2387-9
Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Animals
Pages: 54
Reviewed by: Beth Adams
Pacific Book Review
In this book Mrs. Katz was Troubled by author Bob McElheney, it begins with an illustration of what would be a stage if it were a play – that is of a kind-looking greyhaired older lady, Mrs. Katz, staring out a window from her living room which is filled with a dozen various felines. It is the cats that are doing the talking in this book, not the human woman. The personification of the various cats, along with their idiosyncrasies of personality and adorable names which manifest their behavior, is the root of the entertainment and enjoyment in this book.
How each of these lovely little furry creatures try to deduce what is going on within Mrs. Katz’s mind, as she stares out the window, plays along a curiosity stream of kitty-consciousness, in what all cat owners would declare to be a credible and believable sequence of thoughts. I was so captivated in the progression of logic the cats used, having studied and knowing their owner’s behavior, that the suspense of what would ultimately be shown was developed in an excellent fashion; not at all lingering but building up until the climax. Yes, the book does not disappoint, as “not wanting to be a spoiler” I will say I have never thought of the actions of Mrs. Katz to be what they were portrayed in this adorable story.
The names of the cast of cats; such as Gumshoe, Jellyroll (who never misses a meal), Pajamas (who cat-naps often), Ms. Purr (an obvious name for her purring), and Bogart, Picasso and Powderpuff, plus others, all comprise the characters interacting by discussing what their owner, Mrs. Katz, is up too. As Mrs. Katz takes out her yarn and knitting needles – what is it that she begins to knit? Once again, readers will never guess what it is until they are shown at the end of the story.
Being a cat owner and animal lover, this book hit home with its humor, inherent animal personality knowledge, storytelling and illustrations. While reading this, I thought to myself how this could be the creative foundation of a Broadway play, with its originality and juxtaposition of dialogue – the cats doing all of the talking and not a word from the human character.
Mrs. Katz was Troubled is a fine addition to youngster’s libraries, and a book which will be reached for and read often at bedtime. Bob McElheney has written a story exemplifying the love of cats, animal curiosity, and a crazy Mrs. Katz doing something I will bet nobody can guess what it is! I certainly was surprised.
