Crash! the Cat

June 6, 2016
In this amiable story, McPhail (Bad Dog) introduces two sisters, Krissie and Kait, who recount life with their rambunctious pet: a cat named Crash, whose resemblance to a cuddly stuffed toy belies his irrepressible energy and penchant for mischief. McPhail’s pithy text (“Here he comes”) and uncluttered pictures humorously foreshadow the feline’s blunders, as Crash leaps from the top of the fridge toward a pristine birthday cake, hurtles toward an open can of paint, and barrels toward the girls’ toy farm set, all with destructive results. “We were worried,” confess the girls. “Maybe he was sick. Maybe he needed glasses.” The vet gives Crash a clean bill of health, and he’s back to his antics in no time. Crash does slow down long enough to accommodate the girls’ displays of affection, letting one pick him up and the other put him in a dress. In his final escapade, Crash turns the kitchen upside-down one night while chasing a mouse. The clipped sentences are well-tuned to newly independent readers, and McPhail’s delicate illustrations gently underscore a focus on familial closeness and unwavering child-pet love. Ages 3–6.

July 15, 2016
Crash is a feline wrecking crew!Krissie and Kait love their puffy kitty, Crash. They named him Crash because he runs in to everything! Kate's drum set? CRASH! Krissie's doll? CRASH! Mom's birthday cake? CRASH! Dad's can of paint? CRASH! When he smashes through the girls' farmland play set, they are finally worried enough to take him to the veterinarian. Maybe he is sick or in need of some glasses. The vet gives him a clean bill of health...but as soon as Crash is home, he plows through a load of clean laundry that has to be washed again. However, the girls love him, and he tolerates their dressing him up and dragging him about the house. Late one night he's not in his bed, and a crash draws the entire family downstairs. Crash is chasing a mouse around the kitchen, cornering it in a boot. Crash has redeemed himself in the eyes of his humans. In this kitty-cat version of McPhail's own Bad Dog (2014), the prolific creator bases the tale on his granddaughters and their cat. As a tale of childhood devotion to a pet it works well, but McPhail's watercolor-and-ink illustrations are not up to his usual standards. Pudgy, fluffy Crash often looks more canine than feline, and Crash's redemption is too facile. Crash's family is white, and the vet is black. A sadly run-of-the-mill effort from such a name as McPhail. (Picture book. 2-7)

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October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-Sisters Krissie and Kait love their rambunctious cat Crash. He lets them carry him and dress him up, and he always sleeps with them. But he has earned his name. He destroyed Kait's drum, Krissie's doll, and even a birthday cake. This story is a simple one to understand for those who adore their pets. The siblings love their cat unconditionally, and, of course, he redeems himself in the end. McPhail matches the short and sweet text with single-scene illustrations with a lot of white space to capture the action. This is a good addition to beginning reader collections even though it is formatted as a picture book. VERDICT Newly independent readers, cat lovers, and McPhail's many fans will enjoy Crash's antics.-Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY

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