Princess Super Kitty: An Inventive Picture Book About Transformation and Fun for Kids

by Antoinette Portis

Maggie likes being a kitty. But sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes a girl has to be super.

One little girl transforms herself over and over in this inventive picture book from the bestselling author and illustrator of Not a Box, Antoinette Portis. Once again, Portis shows us that children make ordinary life fun using their imaginations.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Superheroes, Cats, Princesses, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2011

About the author

Antoinette attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and is a former creative director at Disney. She lives in Southern California.

Reviews

[Ofilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot be absolutely certain, but I have a strong feeling that Antoinette Portis must have followed me around secretly as a child, took notes and now published this book. The subtitle of this excellent picture book should be "The biography of OfiliaP." She changed a few details to hide her tracks and then added a superb ending that would have never even occurred to me in my youth. Adorable, fun, clever and absolutely true. All of it. Seriously.

[Emily Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give Princess Super Kitty 100 stars!

I like Princess Super Kitty. I like it when she saves people.

Actual statements from Emily:

"Meow. Meow. Meow-meow. Meow-meow-meow.

Meow-meow. Meow.

Meow-meow-meow-meow."

This continued until she went to bed.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I most appreciate is Portis' accurate capture of how a child's imagination works, layer by layer. Her writing also transitions neatly from one persona to the next, and manages a fun reveal for the end.

Other things I appreciated: The kitten-pretend-play was really age-appropriate, meaning, a little limited and very repetitive (being on all fours, saying Meow, and eating like a kitten). And the Mom* (although she had to be a bit of a stereotype and be shown washing dishes--which I GET, OK, I know when parents are at home that's one of the things they have to DO but when *I* was a mom at home I did manage to do a few other things as well), the Mom is great because of the way she plays along, always remembering Maggie's current incarnation & letting her bounce off the sofa and eat her lunch under the table.

[Jessica Gappy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aria (5) really liked this book. A little girl dressing up & using her imagination is always fun.

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute & imaginative!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: There are girls who are regular girls. But not me. I have ears and a tail. Because today I am a kitty! When Mom says, "Maggie," I say Meow." That means "I am a kitty, not a Maggie." Kitties are cuter than regular people.

Premise/plot: Maggie is an oh-so-lovable heroine. On this day, she is a kitty, a super hero, a princess, and a mermaid. We also catch glimpses of her family in this one. Cover to cover this one is adorable.

My thoughts: I think I know a Maggie. No, I know I KNOW a Maggie. I really love this one. I think my favorite illustration is of Super Kitty rescuing the baby. I think my favorite line is, "A Princess Super Kitty is someone you obey."

Text: 5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10

[Margo Tanenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antoinette Portis writes some of the most delightful contemporary picture books around. She specializes in very simple drawings, and simple text, which really pack a punch. In this story, she turns princess tales on their heads with her tale of a very imaginative little girl who from her dress up box becomes a kitty, a kitty superhero, and a princess superhero kitty. Like another one of my favorites, Mo Willems, she uses very minimalistic drawings to great effect in her storytelling. I would expect this charming story to quickly become a favorite for imaginative children of either sex (although with its pink polka dots its probably more likely to be picked up by girls!) A great one for holiday gifts. In addition to being a terrific read-aloud, this can be read independently by children just beginning to read, since the vocabulary is quite simple (except for the more challenging word porpoise!)

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our youngest played "Super Kitty" with her friends pretty much every day of preschool. She loved being a kitty and of course, she had to have super powers. Plus, she wore a dress, tights and tiara pretty much every single day of school that year, too. So I thought she would absolutely die for this book. Sadly, I think she found it to be only slightly amusing and a bit too baby-ish for her tastes. If only this book had been written two or three years ago... Oh, well.

Still, with a simple, engaging narrative and colorful and fun illustrations, I thought this book was a hit. It is perfect for the 3-5 year old age group and would be fun to read aloud. Even though our girls are getting a bit too old for books like this, we enjoyed reading it together. And we really enjoyed reminiscing about her not-so-distant past and her favorite character, "Super Kitty."

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I'm not one to looooove all the girly girl books out there. But this one did strike my funny bone at times while the little girl plays dress up, constantly elaborating on her costume and identity. Ms. Portis' illustrations are spot on charming and funny without losing the simplicity that makes them pop for younger readers. I suspect this may make a great read aloud for the preK kids. This will likely appeal to any youngster who enjoys exercising their imagination through dress up.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever picture book about imagination, told in a way that makes sense in "kid logic," as she changes from one character to another by adding ideas to her game, beginning as a simple kitty, wearing her tail, and gruadually becoming other things throughout her imaginative game. Her ability to weave her family and pet into her fantasy world is just how a bright child would handle this game.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this book to C I got to like it more and more. Captured the play of my kids pretty good.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I just read I'm Me! and I still remember Amazing Grace, and I don't have a daughter nor was I like this as a child, so this just doesn't do anything for me. At least, those are reasons I think I wasn't impressed. But I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that it is beloved by others. You'll have to decide for yourself.

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

We all know this child and/or we have been this child: play pretending as a kitty is fun. But a superhero kitty is better. And a PRINCESS superhero kitty is better still! These sorts of combinations are the bread and butter of a child's imaginative world and Portis brings that idea to life beautifully.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun book for Story Time and I liked the way it engaged the imagination, as Princess Super Kitty pretended to be first a kitty, then a super hero, and then, of course, your royal highness Princes Super Kitty.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maggie is an imaginative little girl who becomes many different characters to match what she does and doesn't want to do. She starts as a kitty then adds super powers and then becomes a princess, etc.
Simple text for younger readers.
Colorful illustrations.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An imaginative little girl goes overboard while adjusting to all the different things that happen all day long. It seemed a little melodramatic to me, but little kids can be melodramatic. Great illustrations.

[Laila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome for a superhero story time - a cute story about a little girl with a very active imagination.

[Radha TheLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone who has a kid who weirdly adores these roles, well, this is eerily accurate. And a favourite.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cleverly illustrated, entertaining story about self-naming and the magic of reinventing oneself with the super power of the imagination.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute!

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maggie starts her day by imagining herself as a cat and adorably continues to embellish her persona as the day/adventure continues - not even bathtime can thwart her!

[Kathleen Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost a star because she used her ex ray vision to look at her brother’s underwear, and I thought that was inappropriate.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book about a girl whose imagination leads her through the day as she keeps modifying her costume.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened while the kiddo read this to her stuffed animals. It is the very cute--nay--super cute adventures of a princess who is also a superhero and a mermaid. LOL

[C.D. Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It got a giggle out of my girl who like princesses, kitties, and superpowers. And thank goodness, the girl didn't refuse bath time at the end.

[Cloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun. My child is going through a cat phase, and this hit all the right notes. It's fun, includes pretend, and shows the thought process of dressing up. Read it a few times easily.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars
A creative girl in many things, including a kitty, a superhero, and a princess.

[Dachokie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Story that is Both Super Cool and Super Cute ...

This book was reviewed as part of Amazon's Vine program which included a free advance copy of the book.

This is an adorable story about a little girl (Maggie) who puts on a "kitty" outfit and initially dons the persona of a cat only to expand her character as she adapts to various encounters and eventually becomes "Princess Super Kitty." Well illustrated, entertaining and a great book for early readers, Antoinette Portis delivers an appealing story for little girls that should stir their imaginations.

I especially liked the way Portis amplifies little Maggie's character as the book progresses and hits the reset button at the end. The animation and storyline were quite appealing and humorous to my five-year-old daughter, who loved animal/princess/superhero combination.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is your imagination going to take you today? Much like My Name is Not Isabella Maggie is adventurous and finds herself in many different persona, but hers are all stacked upon each other and work in the most magnificent ways to her benefit. If you're a meowing kitty, a super-being of powers and a princess of royal jewels why not also be even more. Each page is full of fun and humor! This is a winner for little girls to love an mama's to enjoy too. A new favorite children's author for me that I will definitely look forward to more from in the future.

*Thanks to HarperCollinsChildrens for providing a copy for review.*

Originally posted: http://wp.me/pYHD5-2Vp

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was full of whimsy and fun. I especially enjoyed the quirky illustrations. The bold black outlines combined with the bright colors were stylish and playful. The little girl was also hilarious. I could see her reasoning behind all of her costumes and I loved how easily she adapted while still being helpful. She didn't abuse her powers too much. It was amusing to see the different roles she took and I liked her actions/antics for each role. The last page made me smile. Definitely a book I'd recommend.

*Taken from My Sentiments Exactly!: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2013...