What If I’m Not a Cat?

What If I’m Not a Cat follows Donkey on his journey of self-discovery. Believing he was born a “scraggly, stray cat”, he is convinced that he has evolved into “a spiffy strong cat”. Not only does he spend all his time with the barn cats, but the farmer has also included him in her evening well-wishes, saying “goodnight, kitty cats!” to all the barn animals. But Donkey recognizes that something is not quite right and that being a cat does not lend itself readily to him as “catching mice wasn’t always easy” and “landing on four feet was harder than it looked.” After a comment from the farmer, Donkey begins to question whether or not he is a cat after all. The cats provide cute comments and guess which animal he could be in a series of speech bubbles. Donkey concludes that “it had become clear he didn’t fit in.” Suddenly, he hears a fox prowling outside and notices a kitten is in trouble. He saves the kitten by performing some typical donkey-like maneuvers, leading him to conclude that he has characteristics of both identities and should thereafter be known as “Don-kitty.” For once, “everything felt right.” In the final scene, Donkey is shown happily frolicking with his cat friends, but in a donkey-like pose.

This title is a wonderful introduction to an essential topic on the minds of many children and parents – discovering one’s identity. Donkey’s process of self-discovery and the acceptance of all his cat friends results in a theme of positivity and gentleness woven throughout the tale. Although the speech bubbles slow the narrative flow, they are necessary to express Donkey’s friends' support. The book will still lend itself well to a storytime situation. Readers may recognize the artistic style as Kelly Collier also wrote and illustrated the “Steve the Horse” series, with Team Steve being an example. In What If I’m Not a Cat, pay close attention to the hilarious and understated cat expressions. Donkey’s face conveys such a great sense of relief once he discovers his real identity; Collier has a true gift in expressing emotion through expression, posture, and coloring. What If I’m Not a Cat is a must-have for all children’s book collections.