The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way) by Patrick McDonnell

The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way) Reviews

• 
  Laura

  
  The ABCs in chase form! Brilliant! Leave it to Patrick McDonnell and his adorably expressive red cat to get us up and running.
  
  This fast moving, nearly wordless story comes together piece by piece, letter by letter. We are off and running as soon as our red cat hero makes a dash for the open door. Look at his face by the way. The pure joy of freedom is written all over it! But his “Yay! I’m free!” excitement flips to “OH-No!” A is for Alligator in a blink!!! Haha…Run! And off we go….
  
  Cat and Alligator are soon joined by a Bear, a Chicken, and a Dragon. Yes, Dragon!!! Can you guess what F will stand for? :D You have to see the trouble and adventure these guys get into on the way to Z. It’s clever and sweet and laugh out loud hysterical. I loved every page! It’s an action packed, quick as a bunny guessing game and adventure for young readers to follow along with and learn. What does the “G” picture depict or the “W”? You’ll find yourself thinking of home, slipping on ice, and swinging in the jungle! And maybe, just maybe making a friend or two along the way.
  
  This ABC ride is one you have to read and experience. Again and again! The wordless style allows the reader to be creative and spontaneous. I found myself adding new words and sounds each and every time I read it. Mr. McDonnell has created an ABC gem. An absolute joy to read!
  
  HIGHLY recommended.
  
  p.s.
  My nephew said the “T “stood for together, which was the sweetest thing ever! I think I like his word better. :)
  
  
• 
  La Coccinelle

  Alphabet books (like counting books) can be hit or miss. This one, however, somehow manages to be both an alphabet book and a decent story, all without using any words at all.
  
  The little red cat runs out of his house and into the world where he meets an alligator, a bear, a chicken... and then a dragon! The chase begins. Soon, the little red cat and his new companions are off on an adventure across the world.
  
  Each page has a letter in both upper and lowercase, and though there's no accompanying text, it's relatively easy to see what the letter stands for (figuring it out will be part of the fun of reading this one for the first time). There's also a key in the back, just in case kids can't figure any of the letters out. I like well-done wordless picture books, so this one is right up my alley.
  
  The style of illustration is familiar, so I've probably seen the MUTTS comic strip at some point. It's a simple style, but it works here to show the little red cat and his companions off on their grand adventure.
  
  If you're looking for alphabet books, this would be a nice one to have in your collection. You don't even need to be able to read to be able to follow the story, which is a bonus for very young readers.
  
  Quotable moment:
  
  

  
• 
  Melki

  Wow - this book is awesome!
  
  The little red cat and an odd assortment of followers have one heck of an adventure.
  
  There's nothing on the page but an upper and lower case letter, and the author's delightful illustration. It's up to the reader to discern what within the picture starts with that particular letter.
  
  Whether you're reading this one because you're a fan of the author's MUTTS comic strip, or you're just looking for something great to peruse with your child, this book is a WINNER!
  
  Highly recommended.
• 
  Joan

  The title tells what the story is basically about. It is close to wordless but with a few minor reservations, it is easy to tell what each letter signifies. In case you get stuck, the author lists the words on the last page of the book. I found O to be difficult to decipher and had to resort to the list. However, most of the others were either quite easy to figure out, or only took a moment's thought. It is a fun story....particularly the chicken and egg....but not exceptional. I certainly recommend it for an interactive story time with the audience puzzling out the story and the reader just helping if they get stuck...like on O!
• 
  Tasha

  When the little red cat heads outside, he discovers a world of surprises and dangers that follow the ABCs. Readers will have to puzzle out what matches each letter along the way (though there is a key in the back of the book to help if you get stuck.) With a merry chase throughout the book, it has the feel of a Gingerbread Boy gallop across the pages. The book is wordless, offering only the letters along the way, providing a visual treat as the cat is joined by an alligator, a bear, a chicken, a dragon and an egg on his adventure through the alphabet. Filled with moments of humor, like the stop at the rest room for R and the lovely use of N and O, this picture book is a delight of an alphabet book that is great fun to share. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
• 
  Lizzie

  Cat and friends go on a wild caper from A-Z and back again. Playful yet focused and clear its' concept and plot. McDonnell achieves a lot with simple lines and plain backgrounds. The key in the final page helps for the trickier letters. Sure to be a kid hit that rewards multiple readings.
• 
  Chance Lee

  Super fun wordless book about a little red cat who runs away and gets into all sorts of trouble -- in alphabetical order.
  
  Each page only has the letter -- capital and lowercase -- and an image corresponding to the letter. A great way to tell a wordless story and learn letters!
  
  The book is in an appealing wide-page format, which is extra exciting when you get to turn the book on its side to see cat and his companions parachuting off a cliff!
• 
  Colby Sharp

  The best ABC book that I have read in ages. I freakin' love this book! SO. MUCH. FUN.
• 
  KC

  Abcs and all that.
• 
  Brenda Kahn

  OMG! How did I miss this gem! So happy that I caught Victoria Stapleton's podcast where she interviews Patrick McDonnell. So worth a listen! The book features a red cat who wakes up one morning, spies an open door and runs away. He quickly comes face-to-face with an alligator and so the alphabet commences. This wordless book is a treasure. Hilarious and entertaining, kids will crowd close in anticipation. There's brilliance in the little details, so don't rush through. This would be perfect in most situations, but super-fun in ESL classrooms.
• 
  Mary Catelli

  An ABC book. The letters are the only things on the pages as the cat slips out the door and finds himself pursued through the entire alphabet. The reader has to work out the significance.
• 
  MaryLibrarianOH

  A wordless concept alphabet book. I wasn't sure if it was really going to work but it basically does. The alphabet, through the illustrations, tells a story. I'm glad there is a key at the end because a few times it is hard to know exactly what word the author is going for and kids might get frustrated (okay adults too).
• 
  Becky

  First sentence: Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee
  
  Premise/plot: Using nothing but the alphabet, McDonnell tells the story of a little red cat who has a mighty, big adventure before returning home once more. It stars a cat, an alligator, a bear, a dragon, a chicken, and an egg....
  
  My thoughts: Technically, I'm not sure if this one would count as wordless or not. The only text within the book is the alphabet. The story is communicated nevertheless. This one has plenty of adventure and some guesswork. The only letter I had trouble translating back into a word to further the story was Ww. (Which was 'wave.') The other letters I was able to 'read' correctly in the context of the story. (Mostly). If I'm being 100% honest, I interpreted Nnnnnnnnnnnnn Ooooooooooo! as NO and not "no over." But either way the story made complete sense.
  
  Text: 0 out of 0
  Illustrations: 4 out of 5
  Total: 4 out of 5
• 
  Mortisha Cassavetes

  I won this cute picture book in a giveaway and just love it. It teaches children their ABC's but it is a bit harder than most books. The child must figure out what is going on in the picture that corresponds with the Letter. Very fun book! Kids just loved it! I would recommend this to everyone that has kids that like a little bit of a challenge.
• 
  Melissa McAlvey

  I admit that I am not always a Patrick McDonnell fan, but this one was fun. Cute and engaging enough for both girls and always love the books that Norah can "read" later.
• 
  Bridgette

  A nearly wordless picture book with a cute concept of a race across different landscapes. The illustrations are wonderful.
• 
  Amy Layton

  This was such a fun book, and it was one that made me think, too!  What's being illustrated isn't elaborated upon by the letter's corresponding word, so it's up to the reader to guess what's happening.  It also makes great use of the physical book itself, and is all around just a great book for those learning their ABCs.  
  
  Review cross-listed
  here!
• 
  Jason

  Pretty good introduction to meditation for kids. Except I kept thinking that the first thing Henry should do to calm down is drink less lemonade.
  
• 
  Shelley

  Clever, adorable, and laugh-out-loud funny.
• 
  Colleen

  3.5
• 
  W.H. Beck

  Wordless (or nearly) alphabet book of a little cat who leaves his house and encounters an alphabetical adventure.
  
  I picked this up because I love
  Patrick McDonnell's other books for kids (
  A Perfectly Messed-Up Story and
  Tek: The Modern Cave Boy were regular read alouds in the library), plus it has landed on both Publishers Weekly's and School Library Journal's best-books-of-the-year lists.
  
  Little Red Cat doesn't disappoint. It's full of cuteness, adventure, humor, and McDonnell's amazing way of depicting expression and emotion through just a few simple dots and lines. Would be great for alphabet lesson or, like all wordless books, to have readers read the pictures and tell the story in their words. A fun challenge might be to have readers write their own alphabetically adventures. Pair with another book that tell a story through the ABCs, like
  Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! : An Alphabet Caper.
• 
  Margaret

  When you have small children or pets as members of your family (depending on the type of pet, of course) you get in the habit of checking as to their whereabouts before you open any door of your home. The lure of the outside world is strong. You would think the music of the Sirens is calling to them. If they are faster at running through the opening than you are at closing the door, they are soon speeding away like a cheetah. You imagine them yelling at the top of their lungs, "I'm free! I'm free!" (If they are little children, they probably are shouting and laughing these very words.)
  
  The truth is, sometimes being loose in the world is not an entirely positive experience. The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His A B C's (the Hard Way) (Little, Brown And Company, September 5, 2017) written and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell follows the adventures of a family feline that makes an escape. As soon as he leaps off the front porch, races down the hill and starts on a straightaway, he realizes he has made a mistake. Without the benefit of words but with award-winning artwork inviting and prompting a story in our minds, we eagerly turn the pages as our twenty-six letter alphabet dictates the flawless flow of action.
  
  
  My full recommendation:
  http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
• 
  Mary

  Y’all, Patrick McDonnell has managed to combine an alphabet book and a wordless picture book, resulting in The Little Red Cat Who Aran Away and Learned His ABC’s (the Hard Way), an alphabet book that actually tells a story, and it’s magnificent! Though illustrated in McDonnell’s distinctive simple style (simpler sketches on an expansive cream background focus your eyes on what he wants you to see), each page is filled with detail and humor that make this book a delight.
  
  Indeed, some of the letter associations are a little trickier to figure out, but McDonnell includes a key at the back. Nevertheless, I have so much appreciation for McDonnell’s ability to string words together in alphabetical order and also use them to tell a story. This ABC book is so much more enjoyable to me than many others since we can talk about the story rather than simply naming random words. Anyone else feel that way, or is it just me?
  
  Publishers recommend it for 3-6. As far as alphabet books go, this one has truly been a hit for the adults in our house to read repeatedly. I can also see using it as inspiration for early- to mid-elementary children as a mentor text for a neat writing project.
• 
  Kendra

  Can you believe that this school year is coming to an end? At the end of this month, I will have Ginny going into 6th grade, Miles going into 4th grade, and Mason going into 2nd. Next school year will be my last school year with Cassie home with me. I love teaching my kids especially before they head to school. So Cassie and I have been working hard on learning our ABCs. This book was one that read that of course has so many different characters. I love how they use the alphabet in this book and that its actually a story-line. Instead of common alphabet books which is just a letter with the words that go with that letter. This book actually has a story-line. The illustrations in this book could be more fun and really go with the story. But I have finally the author/illustrator wanted the words to tell the story not the picture. But I find with preschoolers and younger they need pictures to keep their attention. I was able to keep Cassie's attention by reading this book in silly ways. I do like this book and I recommend everyone check it out.