This was a fun collection. I struggled a little with the ebook formatting but I think had I read this physically I'd have really enjoyed it even more.

Bilston’s entertaining approach to poetry has brightened up many a miserable day, and I’m glad to see that his latest collection continues with his usual flair. You know that you will end up giggling when you tuck into one of his books. I love that he sometimes makes the space of the page an essential part of the poem, with the form of the text being tailored to the subject in poems instead of a standard verse format. This is particularly delightful when the animal in question is a snail or a snake. My favourite poem in this collection was Penguin Awareness, probably because I’d love my own!

You’ll chuckle, you’ll nod sagely and have a smile on your face after finishing Let Sleeping Cats Lie.

Another great collection of poems from Brian Bilston. Observational, witty and enjoyable.
I love seeing his poems shared on social media and is great to have them together in book form.
Thanks to Netgalley.

As a big Brian Bilston fan, I was. Eryn excited to receive a copy of his newest book ‘let sleeping cats lie’. This is a wonderful little book of poetry about the everyday experiences of pet ownership. Full of his trademark humour and wit this is a lovely read and would make a great gift for my pet lovers in your life.
With thanks to MacMillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Brian Bilston is a genius. I have seen him perform live several times, including some of the poems from this book, and he never fails to impress. His poetry is ridiculously clever but so accessible and funny. Read this book, follow him on social media for regular poetry surprises, then read everything else he's written. You won't be disappointed. Special mention to the poem, "On ‘;..p’[[[[[[[[[[[[[;’;////////////////////////3,’" which I cried with laughter through hearing it live and have continued to do so every time I've read it since. If you have a cat, you know!

In a Nutshell: A paw-some package of poems focussed on pets and pet parents. (That’s a plethora of Ps!) Mostly funny, sometimes emotional. I’m not a poetry fan, but I am a Brian Bilston fan. So if you like his works, you know what to expect. Much recommended!

Poetry, especially in free verse, isn’t my cup of tea. But somehow, this poet named Brian Bilston entered my life (or rather, entered my social media feeds) and eroded my resistance to this format of verse. I adore the way he threads humour into serious content, though sometimes, his works are just plain wacky. I picked this collection up mainly for him.

The other reason for bravely attempting a poem compilation despite my lack of poetic knowhow is that I love animals, especially dogs and cats. Seeing that cute little cover pic and the funny title reminded me of all the time my grandma’s cats slept on me during the summer vacations, thereby blocking me from any movement. I used to relax in her veranda and read my books while they (she had five!) took turns snoozing comfortably on my lap. This was thus a nostalgia-inducing read.

If you follow Brian Bilston on Twitter or Instagram, you already know what kind of poetry to expect in this collection. These poems are a combination of humour and sentimentality. They are fun, they are intelligent, they are heartfelt. Some are written from the pet owner’s perspective while others are straight from the pets. A few are from a child’s point of view; these are especially hilarious.

As my friends know, my DNA doesn’t include any gene sequence for poetic understanding. So don’t expect any sensible poetry appreciation in this review. All I can tell you about the poems is that most of them weren’t in traditional rhyme, as is common with this poet’s works. I read free verse poems the way I read prose, and that works well for me. But I must confess that a couple of the “poems’ quite stumped me as they didn’t even resemble free verse but big blocks of paragraph. However, as I have no sense of lyrical understanding, maybe they were poems? 🤔

Regardless of whether they were traditional poems or contemporary verse or neither, there’s no denying that the author’s wordplay is beyond par. I always love how he takes the simplest of ideas and adds a dollop of something unexpected. His prowess over words shines in his writing, even when the verse might be something as simple as a cat’s musings over what to eat.

Though the title and the cover art depict a cat, the poems cover all pets. And when I say all, I mean (almost) all. The only pet I truly missed seeing an ode to was the axolotl. (Maybe next time eh, Mr. Bilston?) Of course, as in the real pet world, the dominant voices belong to the two popular favourites: cats and dogs. And some poems even pit the two against each other. These were so funny!

The lengths of the poems vary. Some are just one stanza long while others span multiple pages. A few of the poems are formatted as per their content. My favourite was the one with the snail, though it was mighty tough to read it on my computer. (Not because of formatting issues. The font went up and down and all around, so I had to swivel my neck like an owl’s to read the whole thing! This won’t be a problem in the physical book or on the Kindle)

I enjoyed most of the poems in this book. But a special shoutout to ‘Hay dude!’: I loved this pet retelling of the Beatles classic, ‘Hey Jude’. It was brilliant!

The only thing that would have offered me greater pleasure from this compilation is the addition of graphics. The nature of the rhymes is such that some cute doodles would have complemented them perfectly. Seeing such humorous content without an accompanying funny illustration feels incomplete.

Overall, I am more than satisfied with this lovely little book. It is such a pup-lifting read that I am not going to pussyfoot around my recommendation.

Definitely recommended to all pet parents and animal lovers. Even if you are not poetry fans, you will strongly connect with the emotions behind the words. The book would be a great gifting option as well. It might work for kids too, though younger ones might not understand every poem.

4 stars.

My thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for providing the DRC of “Let Sleeping Cats Lie - Pet Poems” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Like most people, I discovered Brian Bilston on social media through his Refugee poem. Since then I've become a big fan of his unique, witty and highly intelligent way of playing with the meaning of words and idioms. This is a great collection of animal poems. They're highly accessible and this is a wonderful collection to lose yourself in. The poems have his trade mark warmth and humour and I often laughed out loud with these poems. My favourites were the poem composed by a cat on the computer (I'm not even going to attempt the title) and Haiku composed by my dog while looking out of the window at a passing cat. Clever,, funny and entertaining. This is a wonderful collection perfect to use with children.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

You really can't go wrong with a poetry collection written by Brian Bilston. This awesome collection is filled with humour, style and wit - I loved it!

Im not a fan of poetry but I needed a book of poems to read for a reading challenge, So when I saw this one on netgalley I immediately requested it and I’m so glad I did, It’s filled with fun and laughter and I really enjoyed it.

I’m a big fan of Brian Bilston’s poetry online so was very happy to see this book and not at all disappointed. Centred around pets and suitable for children, these are also great fun for adults with the usual wonderful word play (my personal favourite is from a poem about a budgerigar:
Cos my little feathery geezer
Is a dedicated, staunch trapezer,
More implacable than Julius Caesar –
Weeny, beady, beaky”)

This is a lovely and very funny collection and perfect as a Christmas present for any animal lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

This lovely book of poems contains all the wit and humour of Brian Bilston's previous work.

I read selected poems to my 4-year-old and 9-year-old and they were in hysterics (they were particularly fond of the love poem written by a dog!). My favourite poem is a literary criticism of a poem written by a cat walking over a keyboard.

A recommended read for fans of Brian Bilston, Michael Rosen, and humorous poetry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've come across Brian Bilston poems online, and was delighted to receive an ARC. And I wasn't disappointed.

These 65 poems are quirky and playful, sometimes very simple, sometimes more reflective. Lots of witty word play, some clever jokes and some poems that are laugh out loud funny.

My favourites were The Day My Dog Spontaneously Combusted and Annual Performance Review Meeting with the Family Cat.

Another brilliant collection from Brian Bilston, this one about pets in all their forms. My favourite is "a leisurely walk", a poem about a pet sloth. Laugh out loud funny, and coming from a dog and cat owner, also full of truisms! Thank you #Netgalley for this ARC

This is a pretty funny, varied collection of poetry and prose about the madness that is taking care of a pet. I really loved it and laughed out loud at some poems, reading them out to my mum.

I'd recommend this to any animal and poetry lover. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC