Katie the Catsitter written by Colleen AF Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue
- Cana Clark
- Jul 12
- 3 min read
Boasting multiple starred reviews and an Indie Next Pick, Katie the Catsitter is a fabulous start to a four-book series about a middle-schooler named Katie, her catsitting journey, and her entry into the world of superheroes and supervillains!
Katie and her hard-working mom live a modest life in a NYC apartment. Eager to earn enough money to attend at least one week of summer camp with her BFF Bethany, Katie offers her time for odd jobs to her fellow tenants. But after breaking the eggs while carrying a neighbor’s groceries, killing another neighbor’s plants, and failing to earn much, Katie has to rely on Bethany’s sticker-covered postcards to get her through the summer. Her luck changes when, languishing in the bodega downstairs, she runs into neighbor Ms Lang and they both share an affinity for cats. Ms Lang offers Katie a catsitting job, and the adventure begins!
To Katie’s (and my) utter shock, Ms Lang has 217 cats. Katie is understandably intimidated, but Ms Lang assures her she can handle them. In fact, the cats seem oddly well-trained. They use the toilet, fetch remotes, and even make 3-D-printed key fobs. Ms Lang waves away Katie’s disbelief. After all, “Teaching a cat to create a 3-D model, render and print a mold, then cast and cure a silicone fingerprint is easy.”
However, with 217 oddly-accomplished cats, Katie is quickly overwhelmed. The cats order stacks of pizza, throw raves, destroy the sofa, and knock glasses off counters. But each night, with just a few minutes before midnight, the cats clean up every mess and steal the landlord’s couch (a running gag I appreciated). Mr B at the neighborhood bodega recommends she read Ms Lang’s cat profile notes, which lets both Katie and reader learn more about the cats’ individual talents. The cats are delightfully gifted; for example, Miles is a laser expert and Poe is good at lock picking. (Check out the end of the book for a peek at the full list of the cats and their talents). Once she gets to know the cats’ names and specialties, Katie is able to truly enjoy and succeed at catsitting.
Meanwhile, in this superhero/villain-filled city, a villain named Moustress has been causing mayhem and simultaneously exposing animal abuse. The city’s favorite hero, the Eastern Screech, is on the hunt to stop her. His absurd costume and puffed-up ego make for a satirical take on hero-worship, with the panels of this graphic novel letting the reader in on a secret that the characters don’t seem to realize just yet — Eastern Screech is a terrible hero. He clearly cares more about his reputation than justice.
Katie is largely unaffected by the antics of NYC’s heroes and villains, until she starts to suspect Ms Lang might be involved... Finally, she has to face the facts when Eastern Screech announces the capture of Mousetress and Ms Lang is late to return home. The cats put away their facade and invite Katie into Mousestress’ lair. Katie and the cats gear up to bust Mousestress out of prison in a very exciting story climax!
One of my favorite things about Katie the Catsitter is the pacing. Multiple conflicts and plotlines make for a page-turning read, and the author juggles them all seamlessly. The action, the chaos of the cats, and the super-antics are sure to keep kids reading!
In a coming-of-age, all-too-painful subplot, the catsitting money gets Katie closer and closer to joining Bethany at summer camp, but Bethany’s postcards become less frequent and more boy-obsessed. Katie ends the story having made new friends and coming to terms with Bethany’s change. This subplot is perfect for the book’s age range and is reflective of the complexities of middle school friendships.
The combination of realistic friendship struggles and money problems with the caricatured superhero/villain antics and absurd cats create a really entertaining graphic novel. I loved the depth found in Katie, Mr B, Ms Lang, Bethany, and even random side characters. The illustrations were reminiscent of a superhero comic book and full of fun details and hints.
Creators Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue have built one heck of a story. The delightfully-created cats and their silly powers, the support for animal rights, exploration of what it really means to be a hero, and thoughtful consideration on adolescent friendships all come together beautifully in Katie the Catsitter. I was wholly engrossed and eager for the next installment!
Book Info
Title: Katie the Catsitter: (A Graphic Novel)
Publisher: Random House Graphic/Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9781984895639
Author: Colleen AF Venable
Illustrator: Stephanie Yue
Pub date: Jan 2021
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