Carl the Cantankerous Cat by Donna Paul and Karen Patel

If you are a cat lover like I am, you need to read Carl the Cantankerous Cat by Donna Paul and Karen Patel.  I first heard about Carl the Cantankerous Cat in a teacher group on Facebook when some elementary school teachers were raving about it.  I downloaded it from Amazon to see what the hype was about and became an instant fan!  Not too long after that, I received a copy of Carl the Cantankerous Cat and some swag from the authors.  I entered one of their giveaways on Instagram and won a prize bundle.  Yay!  What did I win, you ask?  Keep reading to find out!

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

Author Summary of Carl the Cantankerous Cat

Carl the Cantankerous Cat is a beautifully illustrated picture book containing advanced vocabulary & descriptive words.  Follow Carl as he begrudgingly adjusts to his new home life in the city as a pampered pet.  Buyer beware - this is no ordinary tale.  Readers young and old can expand their diction while reading about the antics of one crabby cat.  This is a teaching tool disguised as a picture book! Carl the Cantankerous Cat teaches readers about empathy and kindness, while also exposing them to advanced vocabulary.

🐱 Title: Carl the Cantankerous Cat

🐱 Authors: Donna Paul and Karen Patel

🐱 Illustrator: Karen Patel

🐱 Publisher: Tiny Decaf Co.

🐱 Date: March 3, 2020

🐱 Pages: 47

When my prize bundle arrived, my ginger cat Sheldon was fascinated by it.  He wouldn't leave it alone and sniffed every inch of the package, trying to figure out what was inside and where it came from.  The package was intact with no visible signs of damage and... once Sheldon relinquished it to me... I was able to open it up and see the swag inside.

Inside the package, there was a handwritten thank you note, two stickers, a writing journal, a copy of Carl the Cantankerous Cat, and a coordinating activity book.  Way more than expected!  (Thank you, Teacher Donna!)

The first thing that caught my eye was a handwritten note.  It said:

Thank you for following our journey and participating in our fun along the way. Enjoy this engaging read and let us know what you think! Donna & Karen

PS. Added bonus-- you'll find our Activity Book included! FUN!

The note was a fun surprise and put a smile on my face.  It's nice when authors take the time to add personal touches like this.  Definitely appreciated!

Underneath the thank you note, there was a Carl the Cantankerous Cat writing journal. It has a glossy cover and 80 lined pages on the inside. The journal can be used for a variety of purposes at home or at school.

For example, my students keep a 'Wonder Book' in their desks. They use their Wonder Books for reflective writing, reader response, brainstorming, note-taking, and recording all of those things they 'wonder' about. We normally use traditional composition notebooks for Wonder Books, but these journals would be nice to use as well.

At the bottom of the bundle, I found a paperback copy of Carl the Cantankerous Cat and an activity booklet to go with it.  Both arrived in perfect condition.  The picture book has a thick, glossy cover and thick pages inside.  There are 47 pages in all with full-color, full-spread illustrations and text.

So... who is Carl?  Carl is a regular cat who does regular cat things.  He sneaks out of the house to go hunting.  He knocks things off shelves and tables.  He meows at all hours day and night.  He even likes to unravel the toilet paper in the bathroom.  Even though Carl is a mischievous cat... he is loved very much by his family.

Throughout the story, the author uses advanced vocabulary words to describe Carl and his antics. Each of these words is highlighted with red text and is included in the glossary at the end of the book.

Something I frequently tell my students in class... DON'T LET THE BIG WORDS SCARE YOU!  Your students will be able to use context clues and the glossary to learn what these 'big words' mean.

Every Tuesday, Donna Paul releases a video on Instagram and Youtube called Teacher Tip Tuesday. These videos are for students, teachers, and parents and focus on skills students need to know. This particular Teacher Tip Tuesday introduces Carl the Cantankerous Cat and gives suggestions for using it in the classroom.

Did you enjoy this post about Carl the Cantankerous Cat? If so, check out these blog posts for more animal stories:

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