I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I admit it - I requested this book for the cover - did not even read the description.

Mehitabel is a pretty kitty that rules the Donnely House. Her friend is the neighbor's cat, Thomas. She lives with Mr & Mrs Donnely and their fifth grader son, Henry. She is a highly intelligent cat (duh!) and decides she needs a new friend. She has Thomas catch her a mouse and their antics are adorable. Then the Donnely's realize there is a mouse in the house, and the cat manipulates the son into convincing his parents to turn her into a pet, also.

This is a wonderful book - there is 2nd book - I need to go find it!

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

A delightful children's story with a cliffhanger!

Above is what is published on other sites; since this is not a public review, I would comment that the copy available for review had various formatting issues and errata that I will be happy to share.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Mehitabel is definitely no fool. She has a lovely life with her three humans and a neighbour cat named Thomas but she decides she needs a pet for the times her humans are absent. Being an indoor cat, her access to the great outdoors is limited but Thomas is tasked with the job of finding her a pet mouse. Poor little Rose, as Mehitabel names her, is terrified at first but the two of them become best friends. They play and sleep together and visit with Thomas but only when there are no humans around. Mehitabel is no fool. She knows the humans will not understand her relationship with Rose.

But one day Rose is caught in a humane mouse trap and Henry, the young boy of the family, convinces his parents to let him keep Rose as a pet. He buys her a lovely cage with all sorts of great things but he takes away the one thing she and Mehitabel cherish the most- her freedom.

This will.not thwart the wise cat for long. With Thomas’ help, she figures out how to open and shut the cage so that the two can continue to cavort when the humans are unaware. Henry however is no fool either. He suspects something strange is going on but he is astounded when he finds out what it is. He assures Mehitabel and Rose the secret is safe with him.

This is a charming story with some good messages about how to treat others and friendship. It could be a bed time story read by an adult or it could be a good book for a young reader to enjoy on his or her own. Five purrs and two paws up.

Mehitabel is the perfect depiction of how a cats behave and how much fun they can be. This is cat has traits of my three cats and I loved this well written stories, had fun and smile reading about the friendship with Tom.
Even if it's a children book it will be loved by whoever loves cats or a good book
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I chose this when I was in the mood for something light and fun to read.

This is a charming story about a black cat called Mehitabel. It was a very sweet, simple read that brought a smile to my face. There were some beautiful illustrations too.

As a child, I liked to read a lot of stories about animals, and I think my 7 or 8 year old self would have loved to read this book. Children who like stories about cats, or animals in general, would probably enjoy this. I understand that there are going to be more books about Mehitabel, which I also look forward to reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Everyone loves Tom and Jerry cartoon, right?

However, in this cute little children's story, there are cats and mouse that are kind and affectionate and helpful.

But remember, Mehitabel is always the leader because she is not a fool.

Mehitabel lives with her family — three humans: Henry, a 10-year-old studying in Brightsville Elementary; Mr Donnely, he works in an office downtown; and Mrs Donnelly, she works at a little pastry shop on Crimson Avenue.

Mehitabel is black and beautiful. She sleeps for 15 hours, straight, but she is not lazy rather intelligent.

She has a friend and companion from the neighbouring home in Thomas, an orange marmalade. Thomas in fact has a crush on Mehitabel.

Since Mehitabel is bored in the house and lives alone most of the day as everyone leaves for their respective work, she convinces Thomas to bring her a pet mouse to play with her.

Thomas goes outside every day, unlike Mehitabel who stays indoors, as his masters have provided him with a cat flap. He promises her to get her a pet.

Thomas soon brings a little mouse with a pink nose; Mehitabel names her Rose. She is happy that her mission is accomplished.

However, she has to protect Rose from Donnelys, because if they come to know about a mouse, all hell will break loose.

Did Mehitabel safeguard Rose from Donnelys? Did Donnelys found Rose? If so, what happened?

Read this exhilarating and crazy story of cat-and-mouse game played between humans and pets to see who is smart.

Of course, we all know, 𝘔𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘭 𝘐𝘴 𝘕𝘰 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘭.

Waiting eagerly for the second book...

What I learnt from reading this book is it is tough to write children's fiction that involves pets. Because the communication between pets and humans cannot be in dialogue. It has to be "show, don't tell", which the author does successfully.

The author had given unique voice to each characters. This makes it an easy, smooth read. Absolutely, I loved it.

A delightful and heartwarming tale that will leave readers of all ages in stitches. From the moment Mehitabel, the intelligent and manipulative indoor cat, embarks on her mischievous adventure, the story becomes an irresistible page-turner. The author masterfully captures the idiosyncrasies of cats, making this book a treat for any pet owner. The friendship between Mehitabel and Thomas, the orange marmalade cat from next door, is beautifully portrayed, and their scheme to protect a tiny guest while reclaiming control will have readers cheering them on. This book not only entertains but also teaches valuable lessons about friendship, compromise, and kindness.

Mehitabel is a clever, manipulative and elegant black cat, who has quite clear ideas about her place in the scheme of things - and everyone else's as well!

Mehitabel doesn't think too highly of humans, who require a lot of effort to train up to her standards of behaviour. Nevertheless, she has a soft spot for Henry, who is the youngster in the household where Mehitabel lives with her inadequately-trained human family.

She does reserve the worst of her disdain for dogs, so when Mehitabel decides that she wants a pet, she turns to her loyal admirer Thomas the tabby to fetch her a mouse, whom she names Rose.

The shenanigans that ensue after Henry's family find out that the cat has a pet are quite entertaining. The illustrations in the book are basic but nice, and it should be a good fit for cat-loving children! I especially love the fact that Mehitabel is most likely named after Don Marquis's immortal character, the cat from Archy and Mehitabel, who claimed to be the reincarnation of Cleopatra. A nice nod to the classics 💜

Prepare to be whisked away into a world of feline mischief and adventure with Mehitabel Is No Fool. From the very first sentence, this book hooks you and refuses to let go. With its irresistible charm and witty storytelling, it's a book that demands to be devoured in one sitting. Mehitabel, the elegant and cunning indoor cat, will capture your heart as she masterminds a plan with her devoted friend Thomas to catch a mouse. But what follows is a riotous chain of events that will leave you in stitches. This story is a purr-fect blend of humor, excitement, and heart, reminding us that true friendship can bloom in the most unexpected places.

This book presents a fun story of friendship loyalty! We will get to know Mehitabel's personality, a cat with all cattitude lists. This cat wants to keep a house mouse (oh wow, how come? hahaha). Unfortunately, his happiness was temporary. Henry, the owner, locked the mouse in a cage. Mehitabel tried to get her out with full strategy.

What I like about this book is Mehitabel's always responsible and her personality impressed me so much. I also like her neighbour's cat character, Thomas, who is always willing to help her. Mostly part of the book talked about Rose, the mouse. Even though it's a children's book, I found the vocabulary quite difficult. Overall, you will be entertained while reading it, especially for cat lovers. Story of cat with all the drama is what we are seeking for, right?

My grandson read this to me. We both laughed and really enjoyed it. Since we have 5 cats of our own, we saw quirks of them in Mehitabel! And yes 2 unlikely characters can become friends! Purrect for young and old alike! Thanks # Netgalley and #GeorgiaZola for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

In a Nutshell: A nice chapter book for tween-aged beginner readers. Needs more fine-tuning to serve its purpose better.

The story focusses on the titular Mehitabel, a “dainty and dignified” black cat who knows that she is in charge of the Donnely household, where 5th grader Henry resides with his parents. Mehitabel has tried her best to train the humans into following her orders, but humans, unfortunately, can be quite silly and tough to manage. When Mehitabel persuades her friend Thomas—an orange marmalade cat from next door—to get her a pet, Thomas brings her a little mouse, whom Mehitabel christens ‘Rose’. Thus begin the new adventures in the Donnely house, with Henry watching out for his pet Mehitabel, who in turn is watching out for her pet Rose.

The cat’s perspective is the highlight of the book, and provides a lot of humour through the disdainful way in which she talks about humans and dogs, who are, by far, the most horrible creatures in her mind. Cat lovers will have fun reading Mehitabel’s comments on the world around her.

The book starts off well, with Mehitabel’s disparaging remarks working wonderfully to give us an insight into her personality. But more than 3/4th of the book is focussed on Rose the mouse, how the Donnely family discovers Rose and their reaction to the knowledge of their pet’s having a pet, and of course, Mehitabel’s own attempts to keep her pet safe. I was hoping that Mehitabel’s perspective would be more like that of Humphrey in the brilliant Humphrey the hamster series by Betty G. Birney, but her character doesn’t reach that level of development and appeal.

The story is quite basic, and ought to work for beginner readers looking to try out a full-length chapter book. However, a simple story doesn’t indicate simple comprehension as well. There are quite a few difficult words, and also some uncommon alternate spellings (e.g.: ‘galavant’ instead of ‘gallivant’) Moreover, I am not sure how to feel about the cat’s name. While it is a biblical name (for a very minor character), it is too complex for the young age group to remember, or even pronounce.

The book is officially aimed at readers aged 8-12, but I feel it may be too basic for the 10+ age group. Readers aged younger than 8 would have enjoyed the story but the vocabulary in the book might be too difficult for them. Thus targeting the accurate readership for this book is tricky. Because of the premise and writing style, it will work better for younger kids if read under (or read aloud by) a guiding adult.

There are some basic illustrations in the book, but these don’t add on to the story. Rather, they just show us a sketch of some key characters such as Mehitabel, Rose and Thomas. This was disappointing, especially after seeing that stunning cover.

Overall, it is a decent indie work, but needed some more polishing to convert that interesting premise into a more memorable storyline. But it’s quick and cute, which is always an advantage for beginner MG readers.

This is the first book in the planned ‘The Adventures of Mehitabel’ series, so I hope the subsequent books work on making the product better suitable to the right age group, either by simplifying its vocabulary for the younger MG crowd or by adding deeper nuances to the plot to suit the older MG crowd. It can’t do a bit of both and get away with it. More and better quality illustrations would also be welcome.

3 stars.

My thanks to author Georgia Zola, BookBuzz.net, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Mehitabel Is No Fool”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

It is a very endearing story about a bossy black kitty. Being a catlover, this book appeals to me naturally. It is essentially about a cat that wants a pet mouse. It reminds me of a book by Dick King Smith.

The writing is rather simple, so I tend to think it is more for 7-9 years old though.

A quick read that will really appeal to cat people. For anyone who has ever owned a cat, Mehitabel's antics will resonate as distinctly feline. She is precious and quintessentially cat.

Cute and upbeat. Simple writing that will accommodate younger middle grade reading levels, and a story line that speaks to readers of all ages.