Children's eBook Review: Odie the Stray Kitten by Kristen Mott

Illustrations: 4.5 Stars 

Cover: 4.5 Stars
Storyline: 4.0 Stars
Total: 4.5 Stars

Summary: Odie is a tiny kitten who loses his family and finds a new home with a girl and other animals who love him.

Storyline: Not a lot happens in this story. Odie doesn't overcome great obstacles or prove himself a hero. But the story is tender and feels real and loving. I read it with my 9 year old daughter (who loves kittens) and we enjoyed it together. 4 stars.

Illustrations: The illustrations are professional and sweet, and support the story well. I especially enjoyed the illustrations of the cats playing together. 4.5 stars

Total: 4.5 stars

Author Kristen Mott was kind enough to answer these questions: 

VH: How did you decide to write this book?  

KM: Odie the Stray Kitten is a true story. I wrote it several months after it actually happened. I had been thinking about how brave Odie was that day and I wanted to write his story to encourage children to have compassion for animals.  

VH: What advice do you have to children who want to write?

KM: My advice is simply to read and write as much as you can. Reading helps with writing, and everyone has something to say. 

VH: What are you favorite books (children or otherwise)? 

KM: Some of my favorite children's books growing up were If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and Corduroy. Children's books are the only genre that you can enjoy for two lifetimes. I loved those books as a child and I'm enjoying them again now when I read them to my son.  

VH: What's a funny story that happened to you as an author? 

KM: When I do readings at schools and bookstores, I am often asked if I brought the real Odie with me. He would be too frightened for me to bring along, so I created a poster of photos of the real Odie and friends for the kids to look at. The pictures aren't the same as being able to meet the real animal characters, but the kids always seem to enjoy them. That usual sparks the question "What is Odie doing right now?" And my response is usually "Sleeping on the porch in the sunshine." 

VH: If you were an animal, what kind would you be? 

KM: I would definitely be a cat because I enjoy sleeping and being in the sunshine almost as much as Odie.  

VH: What's your advice to children who find a stray animal?

KM: If the child finds a stray cat, the first step is to tell a parent. Then, if the cat is friendly, try to get it to a veterinarian to be examined and spayed/neutered. If the stray is not friendly, do not try to pick it up. Contact a local no-kill animal organization to help you trap, neuter and return (TNR) the cat. Getting the cat fixed is very important because it helps to control the overpopulation of cats and in turn keeps them out of shelters.

Author Kristen Mott

If you're interested in learning more about author Kristen Mott,

• click here for her author website,
• here for her book website and 
• here to connect with her on Facebook. 

Click here to find Odie's Best Friend on Amazon.

Thank you for sharing your book Kristen Mott!


~Valerie Harmon