Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

"What if I'm not a Cat?" is a delightful picture book that explores themes of connection and identity, making it a beautiful read even for middle schoolers. The story follows Donkey, who believes he is a cat because Farmer says so. However, as Donkey realizes he doesn't possess all the traits of a cat, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, questioning his true identity. This book offers a wonderful opportunity for middle schoolers to reflect on their own sense of self and the importance of embracing individuality. Through its illustrations and characters, "What if I'm not a Cat?" encourages readers to celebrate what makes them who they are and find their place in the world.

This simple story follows a standard premise - a character hears an off-hand comment by an adult and takes it literally. In this case, a donkey hears the farmer make a joke about how much time it spends with the barn cats and assumes it is true. It acts like a cat, therefore it must be a cat. When the other cats point out all of the ways that it is different it begins to feel lost and isolated. With charming illustrations, an easily grasped message about identity and belonging, and a solid dose of humor as the donkey engages in cat behaviors this will be entertaining for most young audiences. The illustrations are well designed and engaging for even a non-reader to follow.

This hilarious picture book features a donkey having a slight identity crisis when he learns he is not actually a cat. It is so cute and funny, I am sure kids will love it. The detailed illustrations will draw in young readers and the messages about fitting in and being whoever you want to be are so important. I can't wait to share this book with my grade 1 students. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

Overall, I like this book, but I am confused about the message. From the title and in many parts, it seems like a transgender story, but it’s not. The donkey believes they are a cat because they’ve been raised with cats, and they come when all the other cats come. The books message is you can be whoever you are and whatever makes you happy. But it could be a confusing story for a transgendered child because it never settles if that is or is not OK.

This story is humorous and thoroughly engaging. It‘s a celebration of the things that make each individual different and unique. I especially loved that all the cats tried to tell Donkey what he was, but Donkey realized he had to decide that for himself.

This is such a cute book! It does a good job of imitating those animals that grow up around a different species from their own, so they act like the species they're around. I like that the donkey eventually discovers something more unique about itself that the cats can copy instead of the other way around.

Picture Book | 3-7
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“Donkey was a cat. He knew he was a cat because Farmer had said so.” Every night as she leaves the barn where the cats live, Farmer calls out “Goodnight kitty cats!” Donkey licks his fur, and perches, prances, and pounces, just like all the other cats. But sometimes, Donkey finds it harder to be a cat than the others. Perching on a fencepost is difficult. Landing on your feet can also be hard. And catching mice, well. But he knows he’s still learning things, so he commits to keep trying. But when he curls up on Farmer’s lap for a nap, she says something strange: “Donkey, you’re acting like a cat!” It causes Donkey to wonder if he really is a cat after all. Concluding he isn’t, Donkey sadly leaves the barn and spends a chilly night alone. But when he hears a kitten calling for help, Donkey races to the rescue, and figures out his real identity. Award-winning Canadian author Winters, a Brock University professor in education, delivers a sweet story of friendship, acceptance, and learning to value individual strengths and to adapt to change. Illustrator Collier brings the story to life with lively and emotive illustrations.The digitally created cartoon-style illustrations are hilarious, showing Donkey in difficult positions as he tries hard to emulate his kitty friends. The animals’ thoughts and speeches are in bubble text, and the cats’ logical contributions to Donkey’s puzzlement will generate giggles for readers of all ages. The illustrations range in size, from full-bleed facing pages to a series of smaller images, making this ideal for lapsharing. There is plenty of potential for storytime use, especially with older preschoolers and kindergarten classes. My thanks to KidsCan Press for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The book is available for purchase starting June 6.
More discussion and reviews of this picture book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I adore What If I'm Not a Cat. I enjoyed that the donkey's existential crisis was solved by him figuring out he had a bigger purpose. Also adorable was the cat going through it's on crisis. Very very cute

What a sweet and adorable tale about figuring out who you are and where you belong! Donkey lives with the cats in the barn and always assumed he was a cat (he was sure about it because Farmer said so!) But, sometimes, things just felt a little bit...off, until, one day, he has the shocking realization--what if he's not a cat at all??? And if he's not a cat, what IS he and where does he belong?

Young readers will love following Donkey's journey. The story is funny and lively with a very relatable message. The art supports the text well and will definitely hold young readers' attention. This would be a great read for pre-K and early elementary and would make a wonderful addition to school and classroom libraries!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Winters presents a delightful tale of self-discovery in this whimsical story of a loveable donkey and his kitty-cat roommates. The illustrations by Kelly Collier are beyond adorable, particularly the one of Donkey being a lap-cat. And, bonus points to the author for using the word spiffy.

I thought that this book was very good and very enjoyable!

The story was well written and easy to follow, I read it with my 5 year old daughter, or rather she read the book to me and we both thought that it was funny and she asked the following night to read it again so that was a hit with me as I love when she wants to read a book more than one - its a true sign that it has hit the target audience well.

The writing was great and the illustrations were brilliant and they really brought the story to life.

The book was well laid out, it was nice, bright and the illustrations were wonderful and it is 5 stars from me for this one – very highly recommended!

What an adorable book! This would make even the grumpiest child giggle. I would definitely recommend this to my younger patrons and their parents to read at bedtime.

My favorite part of this book was the illustrations that highlighted the text so well. They did a good job of showing the main character’s feelings.

Of course, adults know that the star of this book is a donkey but…he does not know this for quite a while. He lives with cats, imitates cats’ behaviors and thinks that he too is a cat. What will happen as this certainty fades? How will he find his place in the world and reconcile his identity? (hint: watch for his new description of who he is in his own vocabulary).

The author is, I think, writing about finding one’s place comfortably in the world. Perhaps this is something that the adult who reads this one with a child will choose to explore a bit.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Donkey is a cat...or is he? Gentle, humorous story about self identity and finding one's true home. The drawings add to the silliness. I recommend this picture book for children ages 4 to 10.

No, that was definitely NOT me screeching incoherently while reading What If I'm a Cat?. (It was, fur sure.) In a time, where identity has become more important than ever, this book takes a really complicated subject matter, and breaks it down to the most simple components. Donkey has an early midlife crisis of questioning who he really is. He's been surrounded by cats his whole life and truly believes they are his family and exactly who is and where he belongs. Until... HE. QUESTIONS. EVERYTHING. Which makes him sad. And makes the other cats question themselves. One cat even thinks be may he a dog. Multiple times. I may have laughed. (I definitely laughed.) In the end, Donkey realizes he can be whoever he wants. And found family is just as real as blood family. I adored this beautiful book so much and will be purchasing a copy for our library and another for my personal collection.

***Thank you to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with a review copy.***

My daughter loved this book. She thought it was so funny that a donkey was a cat! We have read this every night at bed time for a week and she just giggles every time. A cute story that you can be whatever you want to be!

Thank you Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC!

Donkey assumes he's a cat because all his friends are cats. But, sometimes he feels different. Then, one day the farmer makes a comment that makes him think, maybe he's wrong and he's not a cat at all. Kids will love this story. The illustrations of donkey acting like a cat are so funny. They will laugh outloud when they see Donkey curling up on the farmers lap or trying to climb a tree. It's such a fun way to lead kids to discussions about finding your identity.

Oh, this book melted my heart! Donkey felt so alone even though he had a bunch of kitten friends and didn’t truly feel like himself until he scared someone away. This is a must read.

Could not adore this book more! The questions donkey has were so relatable and it was such a cute story!