Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of "The Cats of Butterwick Sands." I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book judging by the cover and description but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised. A much more in-depth read and storyline for children to follow, but entertaining and endearing enough.

My cat loving son loved this book. He was so excited following the cats around the town with their adventures and the personalities are so fun.

I read this book with my cat loving daughter. She loved reading about each of the cats in the story. You are introduced to many cats with unique personalities. Some of the cats live in their families and others wander the streets, but they now they have somewhere to go in Britian if they just make it to Butterwick Sands. This is a wonderfully written book with fun characters. Following along with all the different lives of the cats who live in the little seaside town of Butterwick Sands is an enjoyable journey.

It is such a cute and uplifting story that you won’t be able to put down. Perfect for middle grade or those who need to take a bit of time out.

Cute little book about the lives of cats in a little seaside town. Fun to read the story from the cat's point of view. I would recommend for younger children who love cats (or adults who enjoy easy reading)!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

My daughter and I loved this tale of the cats of Butterwick Sands. The adventures of the cats in the sea side village was very entertaining!

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book reads almost like nonfiction. At least, it has a certain feel to it that for the adult reader makes it easy to imagine it's based on real places...and cats.

My son enjoyed more my "short story" version - retold after reading with voices and acted out paw licking of various cats. But then, he's only three.

I can imagine that these stories are fantastic especially for cat lovers, making all the adventures truly imaginable.

I would recommend this book to parents with school-age kids. Especially if considering getting a cat for a pet.

I enjoyed this book. It's quite different to other animal books and I really felt that each cat character came alive as their stories unfolded. Each one has its own personality that shone through the story. A lovely book for confident readers in lower KS1.

Whether you're 9 or 90, Butterwick Sands is a place no animal lover will ever want to leave. The town's story is told in a series of vignettes from the viewpoint of some of the more prominent feline citizens, all strays from around the UK who have sought refuge at the former fairgrounds. My favorite characters include the lovely Lala, tossed out of her mansion after her owner passed away and finds love with Milo, Hamish the Scottish Fold who lives at the fish and chips shop, ancient Hester from the general store, who spends her time napping on a top shelf at the store and no one can understand how she gets up and down, and Fergus who wears a bandanna lives in a caravan with Old Mags. I also really liked Mr. Peabody, sort of a Scrooge-like character who intensely dislikes cats until they save his life one snowy night when he falls and injures himself. The illustrations depicting various scenes are darling and the cat characters are each written with unique personalities that will remind you of the cats in your own life. My hope is that this is just the first in a series because these cats have so many more stories to tell!

Princess Fuzzypants here:
There are children’s books that are strictly for children and then there are children’s books that are for all ages. This is one such book. Whether you are young or simply young at heart, you will fall in love with the cats and other animals and the humans who live in or near Butterwick Sands.
Butterwick is long past its heyday and has become musty and old fashioned. But it is and was a refuge for all the stray cats from around the UK. Word has gotten out to the street that this is place of safety where most of the humans are kind and generous. Cats flock there from everywhere. There is one old curmudgeon who does not like cats but he has a change of heart.
We follow the lives of the local felines with Ernie, the station cat, and Percy, the wise leader of the cats, front and centre. We meet so many of them including (*grins*) a Maine Coon. Their lives change dramatically when a rich gentleman arrives back in Butterwick Sands with plans to use his great wealth to return the place to its former glory. His plans include taking the needs of the residents both two and four legged into consideration.
What he creates with the help of the residents is a place of wonder and joy. In fact, it is a place I happily would visit time and again, which, as a book, I am able to do. I would not be surprised to see this become a classic.
I give it five full throated purrs and two big paws up.

Gabriella Thomas’ The Cats of Butterwick Sands is a gentle and entertaining read. If you love cats, this is the book for you! Although this book is aimed at children, I don’t think that it is completely suitable for very young readers because there are too many characters to keep track of and the word choices are fairly elevated. Moreover, the book’s timeline is sometimes inconsistent and Thomas’ writing can be distractingly choppy.

The book follows the adventures of various cats living in the once popular but now rundown seaside town of Butterwick Sands. This town is a haven for stray cats who live alongside humans and pet cats. The book switches between the viewpoints of various cats inhabiting the town. I particularly liked reading about intelligent Percy, station cat Ernie, and police cat Reggie.

This book is cute and funny. There are also lots of adventures to be had. A kitten goes missing and all the animals band together to help find him while a miserable cat-hating man changes his ways thanks to our clever feline friends. There’s even a kitty choir! There’s also a great segment where the humans and animals decide the future of their town.

There are also some simple but cute illustrations. However, I wish they were more interesting and detailed.

I really love the cats! Their interactions with each other, other animals and humans are well-written. If you’re not a cat fan (I’m not sure this book is for you then!), there are other animals like the donkeys, maniacally evil seagulls, sassy hens, and dogs. These animals are memorable and have unique and interesting voices.

There are great lessons in this book for both kids and adults. I really like that the animals cooperate with each other while also showing kindness towards others. Of course, there are conflicts in both the animal and human world and I like how nicely but realistically everything is resolved. Thomas also has interesting and well-crafted human characters.

Many of the cats are unique and have distinct personalities but there are too many of them. I sometimes wasn’t sure which cat was being referred to. I also wish that the plot had more action. The book relies too heavily on telling us what is happening rather than showing us. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in the book’s timeline which distracted me from the plot. Furthermore, the book would benefit greatly from further editing because the descriptions can be excessive and awkwardly written.

The Cats of Butterwick Sands is an entertaining and quick read. I believe that younger readers may have difficulties understanding the book because of its excess of characters and slightly too mature language. While I wish there was more action and it was better edited, this book would be a good read for the cat lovers in your life.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Guild for this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a cat lover I was all prepared to love this book. And I did love much of it, but, too much repetition! It needs some editing. I love descriptions of places, but there are way too many in this book! To the point that I had to start skimming over much of it. It grew tiresome. It could be a very lovely story with some good weeding. It has great characters, but they just don't seem to DO anything other that describing them, what they do, and how the cats see them. There's not a lot going on for chapters. Sorry. I am sure others will disagree with me and, of course, middle grade children will likely enjoy reading the story, especially if they like cats. If I purchase it, I may well edit it to my liking! I do like the idea of the story, like I said and I love the animals and humans, it just needs some work.

The Cats of Butterwick Sands is a delightful novel that is perfect for anyone who loves cats. Set in a small seaside community in Britain, the story is written by Gabriella Thomas.

The cats in this community either have homes with their humans, or they are strays who live in the old caravan park or the old fairground. All stray cats in Britain know that they are welcome in Butterwick Sands. All they have to do it make their way there and they will have a home for life. Each of the shops in town has a cat, and some of them have dogs. There is a pair of donkeys, Blossom and Burt, who live behind the local pub. The local seagulls, Gunther and his pals, make things exciting by swooping at the cats or making messes.

Every cat we are introduced to is unique in their own way. There is Lala, the cat who used to live in a mansion, but was booted out when her mistress passed away. There is Hamish, the Scottish fold cat, who lives in the chip shop and eats lots of fish. Another cat is Hester, who lives in Bloom’s general store. She spends most of her time sleeping on a high shelf in the store, and all the other cats wonder how she can climb up there because she’s very old and walks very slowly.

There are many interesting characters in the novel. Each cat has a story and they all intertwine. Some of the cats are related to each other. For example, Ernie, the train station cat, goes on a trip by bus and train to visit his father, Fergus, who lives with Old Mags in the caravan park. The humans all know of the cats and let them go about their business with no interference.

The cats get along well with each other, except for Gripper and his gang, who like to make trouble. Otherwise, they cooperate and work together. They all team up to find a lost kitten early in the book. Later, the cats save a man’s life by keeping him warm after he falls in snow and is injured. He is grateful and changes his ways. He used to hate cats, but now he loves them.

Then, a man comes to town who wants to make changes. The humans and the cats must decide if they want these changes or if they want a developer to take over the land of the old fairground and caravan park.

This is a very sweet story and would make a great book to read to children at bedtime. The cats have personalities, just as any cat owner will tell you. They demonstrate good skills by getting along, helping each other, looking out for strays and assisting them, and helping their humans. They may have differences, but they learn to overcome them. The other animals also work with the cats, including the donkeys, dogs, chickens, a fox, and the seagulls. One message of the book is that we might all be different, but we can get along and help each other out. I think this would be an appropriate story for any age, but that children will particularly like it. The main storyline involves the whole town and the big changes, so there are lessons about decision-making and communities and neighbors pulling together. It’s overall a very positive and uplifting story. There is no violence in the book, apart from a man falling and hitting his head. That’s the scariest thing that happens, so it’s completely appropriate as a children’s book.

I enjoyed this novel heartily. I have cats myself and can tell you that cats definitely are independent and each has a unique personality, just as do the cats in this book. Cat lovers may recognize some of their feline friends in here. The illustrations are well done and depict certain scenes in the book. The cats are accurately drawn. The end is very uplifting and I hope that there will be a sequel. Over the course of the book, I became intrigued with all the charming cat characters. Any one of them could be the subject of another novel. So, my hope is that the author continues the story in some way. Perhaps showing us what happens in the future of Butterwick Sands, or even taking one of the cats on a journey and introducing the reader to a new community. I enjoyed this book immensely and I highly recommend it. Cat lovers, you simply have to read this book! You will not be disappointed. I give it five paws.

I really enjoyed this book. It's so sweet and full of entertaining and cozy stories about humans and cats.
Even if it is marked for children and can be appreciated by adults and surely will make you feel good.
Really good and strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and The Book Guild

Butterwick Sands in England had an amusement park for several years where cats would go and eat leftovers from the customers. When the amusement park closed, the cats stayed finding food leftovers behind restaurants and stores if not finding prey to catch and eat. Percy the cat acts as a constable and judge for the cats living in the former amusement park and town. The cats have created a community that is quite harmonious. The cats all have interesting lives. There is a family that lives in a trailer complete with a dog. They live next to a trailer that has an elderly woman who lives in it. I love the cats interactions with each other and people besides their individual adventures.

The author has written an excellent story that is original and quirky. It was fun for me to read it. The book is illustrated with black and white drawings. Do read and enjoy the book!

This is a sweet little book set in an English seaside town. It feels very English in tone and characterisation.
Through the story we get to meet plenty of characters – both feline and human – as we travel around the different parts of the sleepy setting.
If you’re fond of cats – I am – this is a nice little read.

Cats living in a seaside town. I'm in! I enjoyed the cats' personalities and the author did a good job portraying their mannerisms. There are parts of the writing that leave a lot to be desired, but with the right editing, the final version of this book is going to be a delightful read.

The Cats of Butterwick is a very good book for children all ages. For parents or grandparents etc to read this book to small children or children to read it independently. I found this book Fun and lol in some places.
It tells adventures of cats in a small seaside town and other adventures from strays across England etc. Stories are set in caravan parks, funfairs etc. Children can relate to some of these stories. I always look for books to use in the class room and this is one of them. Most children love cats and may own one so this book will be a good talking point for future classes and projects.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book for a honest review.

This charming story moves from one location to another with a mix of characters such as a Percy, Pebbles and Mr. Peabody. It includes many animals and describes their behavioral or physical characteristics to amuse readers. There is mentions of fur flying and crooked whiskers and the clucking voice of chickens. It also speaks of stray cats and donations to cat charities.

This is an engaging series of vignettes recounting the adventures of a town’s cats. The viewpoint switches between some of the more prominent feline citizens. The cats’ individual adventures and interactions with others are highly amusing.

It was a fun, enjoyable story. No matter how humble the exterior appears, the inside of a cat’s head is a haughty place.