Booklist - Starred Review:
The tiny, wide-eyed kittens on the book's cover and the funny title will draw readers right in. Who doesn't love cats? Well, even if you don't love 'em, you'll have learned a lot about them—delightfully—after turning the last page of this clever picture book. The tiger-striped narrator is an experienced cat who is welcoming three kittens to their new home. And there's plenty to learn. First off, he admonishes the kittens, the humans "want to make YOU happy! Now's the time to take control."
And so it begins—thelitany of catty ways that cat owners know all too well. How cats use their purrs, roll over on their backs, and give (several versions) of the patented kitty stare that means "I'm starving." But this doesn't just delve into the psyches of cats (and their people), though there's plenty of that. Talbott offers enough information about a cat's body, the history of felines, and cat cousins to raise this to the level of an information book, albeit an amusing one. Then there's the watercolor and colored-pencil art. Funny and furious, with cats darting in circles around the spreads, it also features charts, time lines, and simple portraits of cats exhibiting feline behavior; it's all a wonderful mélange of "catitude." Even without the dedication, it would be obvious that Talbott has owned cats. He has taken the bad with the good and can now make even a cat devouring the Thanksgiving turkey look like fun.
School Library Journal - Starred Review
"Anyone who has ever been owned by a cat will connect with all the behaviors described and enjoy recognizing their own pets as they laugh at Buddy's antics. . . . Illustrations are crisp and lively and add to the humor."
Kirkus Review:
Presented as advice to a trio of new (kitten) residents from Buddy, a charming marmalade cat, the first-person narration pokes fun at peoples' foibles and extols the virtues of cats large and small. One double-page spread contrasts the abilities and physiology of cats and humans; another shows the history of cats from their first appearance through the glories of Egypt and the bad times of the Dark Ages to the present day; a third showcases cats of all kinds from domesticated breeds to a lion, tiger, lynx and other big cats. Buddy also explains the mysteries of cat communication, from body language through the power of purrs, and provides a list of ways to keep caretakers on their toes (don't miss the vignette that pays homage to Ezra Jack Keats' Kitten for a Day). Talbott's cartoon-style illustrations feature round-eyed kittens and a sly, smugly smiling Buddy. They lack detailed backgrounds, keeping the pages feeling clean. His human characters, a (stereo)typical family, are over-the-top in their admiration for Buddy, which adds to the humor and, along with the faux-instructional tone, creates continuity.
Publisher's Weekly Review:
"…As Talbott's adorable felines alternately wreak havoc and charm humans, cat-loving readers - adults in particular - will chuckle and nod in recognition. All ages."