My Cat Looks Like My Dad

In this sweet and lightly humorous book, a (seemingly) invisible narrator describes the ways that their cat is like their dad. Not only do the two share colouring (both having orangey-gold hair), they also share personality traits such as a love of drinking milk and napping. A twist at the end and a heartwarming moral elevate this book from lovely to fantastic.

My Cat Looks Like My Dad is not an action-packed story, by any means. The book is true to its title, being largely comprised of listing ways in which the narrator’s cat is like their dad. Despite this, most young preschoolers will have little difficulty making it to the end, largely thanks to the spare, simple text and the predictable structure of the narrative. With a no-nonsense font, high contrast between text and page, and plenty of white space, the words are easy to read. The text is also well-placed on the page. Readers intuitively know where to look next and which illustrations to focus on.

Fans of retro-style art will love this book. The collage artwork is created using patterned paper with a careful eye to colour-scheme. The colours, patterns, and artwork have a 70s or 80s vibe that adult readers will undoubtedly recognize. The dad, from his hair to his large glasses, personifies the book’s esthetic. In addition to being eye-catching, the illustrations expand on and are integral to the story. From the cat stretching alongside their dad to the two of them getting stuck in a tree, the pictures add humour to text that would be innocuous on its own. Most importantly, young readers will enjoy looking at the pictures, and adult readers will have plenty of fodder for dialogic reading.

My Cat Looks Like My Dad is a gentle and adorable book that ticks all the boxes.