Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

The puffy gray cat introduced in Naughty Cherie (illustrated by Mark Graham, 2008) learns to share her space and her humans.Cherie's family leaves the house, promising to return with a surprise. She hopes it's tuna treatsbut it's Cleopatra, a kitten. "Her legs were very short and her tail was thinnot at all like Cherie's big, fluffy tail. She did not have soft, long, gray fur like Cherie but very short, smooth, shiny fur." Cherie does not like anything about Cleopatra, but young human JoJo and her parents think the little cutie can do no wrong, even when she's making a mess. Cherie runs away, but after being treated shabbily by several wild animals (most of whom she would eat or be eaten by in reality), she returns home to snuggle, purring, with Cleopatra and JoJo. Award-winning novelist Oates throws down an astonishingly clumsy new-sibling picture book, wordy paragraphs displaying no trust whatsoever in her illustrator to help shoulder the narrative load. Mottram's mostly realistic, soft-edged, digitally created illustrations are attractive, but his manga-eyed cats only serve to boost the treacle factor. Readers tempted by the title and the author's reputation will be sorely disappointedSusin Nielsen and Olivia Chin Mueller's recent Princess Puffybottomand Darryl (2019) is ears and tails better than this.An oft-told tale told poorly. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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Cherie the cat has a plummy life with the Smith family, until they bring home Cleopatra, a kitten who immediately seems to displace Cherie in everyone's affections. Cherie's journey back into the heart of the family takes some predictable twists and turns. In rich tones, Mottram's digitally enhanced drawings play up the kitten's adorable saucer-green eyes as she enjoys everything the elder cat is forbidden from doing (batting at toilet paper, pouncing upon her dry food). Adult author Oates's wordy narrative follows an ill-advised attempt to run away that brings Cherie face-to-face with animal bullies. But the bullies remind Cherie that the family's new addition is vulnerable-"just a kitten"-and the final page finds the two reconciled and snuggled together. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.