The Perfect Cat Sitter

Susan is good at helping. When Rana's family has to leave for India, Susan promises to look after their pets. She just knows she'll make the perfect cat-sitter. But things don't go exactly according to plan: Tigger, the cat, gets sick, a deer gets stuck in the Christmas lights, and her friend Richard gets hurt trying to help her! And then Tigger goes missing. How is Susan ever going to make things right?

Publisher: Holiday House, Inc., 2007

Reviews

Careful, conscientious, and very responsible, Susan works hard to do everything well. She prides herself in her teacher’s praise and cannot understand why classmate Richard calls her a know-it-all. Self-awareness begins when Susan offers to cat sit for her neighbor, Rana, who must unexpectedly travel to India. Job complications quickly set in— first the cat runs away, and then a deer arrives in the yard with Christmas lights tangled in his antlers. Humor infuses the story through Richard’s antics and the stream of “everything is fine” emails Susan sends to Rana, too embarrassed to write the whole truth. Classroom dynamics and school friendships are well rendered, as are all sides of Susan’s perfectionism—the pressure she puts on herself, but also the pride she takes in doing well in school and helping her friends succeed. Soft black and white illustrations capture Susan’s emotions throughout her escapades.

--Booklist