When I had the chance to get a copy of Inspector Dewey by Kristen Heimerl (illustrated by Irene Bofill), I definitely couldn’t pass it up—a story from a cat’s point of view! I love cats and, perhaps just as important, the most popular character I’ve written to date is talking cat Tom!  I’m always interested to meet other literary cats and see how other authors have portrayed our furry friends.

This is a charming picture book with gorgeous illustrations. Dewey narrates the tale, introducing his family (fellow cats Thumper and Lily, and human Anna), and describing the night when a thief came to the neighborhood.

I love Dewey’s voice. He’s exactly the self-assured, egotistical type of cat that I love reading abouy. Because all cats, of course, are deeply aware of their own importance!   Dewey is very sure that he saved the day when danger threatened, and I enjoy that self-confidence.

The illustrations are beautiful, all soft edges and shadows.  The cats look adorably fluffy!  Each two-page spread is lovely art, and some are especially creative–like a page that was line drawings showing the telephone and cord, with detailed pictures wound through it.  There are also some fun text/font choices to emphasize sound effects.

I was a little disappointed how passive Dewey’s involvement in capturing the neighborhood thief turned out to be–since it largely consists of mentally projecting ideas to the humans involved…  On the other hand, a child reader would probably accept that at face value, and as an adult I do sort of enjoy the cat’s self-assurance that he was really entirely responsible.

This is a sweet story, not too tense, and great for cat-lovers.  The story behind the story is sweet too–50% of all proceeds from book sales fun vet care for pets whose families are in financial need.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book’s Site: http://www.inspectordewey.com/

Other reviews: Check out all the blogs on the Book Tour! (Scroll down a bit for the list…)

Buy it here: Inspector Dewey