The book was cute but pretty basic. I liked the illustrations. I think the book could have been a bit longer.

Fun story about three mice who brainstorm ways to deal with the new cat in the house, only to find out that he wanted to be friends all along. Very cute illustrations add to the appeal,

Here is a cute and silly story that young children and their adults may well enjoy. The detailed illustrations are charming and add to the enjoyment of this title.

Three mice named Elwood, Bernardo and Vincent are enjoying their lives in a large house until…a cat moves in. Now the mice are afraid that they will be hurt or become homeless. They scheme and plan but, as so often, life takes an unexpected turn.

This is a story that brought a smile to my face. It also has a nice message about not drawing premature conclusions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Clavis publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

In my eyes, this was a pass. Three mice (who only raise questions about who's who and why one looks completely different) are worried about the threat caused by a cat that's moved into their home. First they mention putting a bell on it as a warning system, then for some reason they're hanging by their tails and... what? Was a page left out? Their other ideas are at least fully on the page, but are equally daft, until the thing turns out to be a lesson in pre-judging and assuming the worst of other characters. The artwork is fine, but the plot really let this down. I remain completely befuddled by the acrobatics, and as for a character bailing out of something having gotten hives – well done for making that a beat in a story for under-sevenses! One and a half stars.

The great thing about kids is everything is new to them. The twist of a narrative joke where a cat would rather be friends with a cat than hunt them? That was a hit with mine.

The artwork is soft and not too busy. I loved the little in-joke near the end where a book is opened to a section of Aesop's fables, upon which this story is based. The animals are cute, almost plushie, and then you see an actual plushie, which really takes it up a notch.

I do wish the three mice had been identified a bit better. We only figured out one, and that's because of a page where the text said it got hives, and the image matched. The other two could probably get sorted, but it would take a closer read.

Overall, quick and fun. A good pick from your local library.

4 Stars
Do you remember the story about how to bell a cat? Well, this is a retelling with a cute twist. What happens when the family brings home a cat? Can the three little mice live peacefully or do they have to find another home?
The illustrations are for toddlers and teeny kids. The characters have a plush cartoonish design and feel to them. The colors are soft and pleasant on the eyes. The text is meant for parents to read aloud (I suppose). I wish the font is bigger and easier to read. It is small, at least in my eARC.
The story even has a moral about not judging others or jumping to conclusions. Though, it’s for the elders to explain this to the kiddos.
To sum up, A Better Way to Bell a Cat is a cute book for little ones who like animals.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A Better Way To Bell A Cat is the very sweet, but silly story of three mice trying to avoid having to live with a new cat in the house. The story gave us many chuckles, especially silly Elwood. With a nice theme of don't judge a book by its cover, this is a great story to have in your early childhood library.

How heartwarming! This book about mice who assume their days are numbered when a cat moves into their house is a wonderful opportunity to talk with children about making assumptions. The mice learn that their first thoughts about someone are sometimes very far from the truth. The illustrations are lovely and the actions of the story are adorable!

It's a joyful read. The illustrations are cute.
In the beginning, I thought the story probably was just some kind of re-write. Well, I was wrong. :-)

Thank you, Clavis Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

I love how clever the story is and I do feel the target audience will find it totally enjoyable to read.

At first I thought it would get the reader anxious as to how the mice would survive the cat living in the same house! But yes, the older ones always have the best advice and that's what follows.

A good read. The illustrations are amazing too

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC In exchange for an honest review.

My son loves Cats and he like to pretend to be one sometimes (quite successfully) so I liked this story about this cat that decided to be better and not follow their instinct.

I love this story because it can evoke conversations about presumptions we make about people in our lives. Children will learn that assuming things based on biases can limit friendships. What a charming way to teach that assumptions are bad; communication is key . ❤️