24 Best Cat Books for Kids
Cats and kittens are so lovable and cuddly. Kids love their sweet furry faces and playful nature. From cool cats like Pete to silly cats like Splat, cats are fun to read about and fun to learn about. Cat’s can even learn tricks! We’ve rounded up cat books for babies, cat books for kids, chapter books about cats and a few fact-based cat books for the ever-curious child. You and your little reader will love them!
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Cat Books for Toddlers and Babies
Babies love books with bright pictures and textures like those found in these cat books. Board books are easier for their tiny hands to hold and can stand up to a child’s curious excitement.
This rhyming book is filled with photos of real cats and lots of fun facts to help babies and toddlers learn about cats.
This hands-on touch and feel book is full of fun pages for babies to experience soft, fuzzy and cuddly textures. The cats are sweet and babies will love looking at this book.
Little learners will love this lift-the-flap book as they explore a world full of playful kitten friends.
Children will love the beautiful artwork and enjoy the story of Kitten when she sees the full moon and thinks it's a delicious bowl of milk. Winner of the Caldecott Medal and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book, this sweet story is one of our favorite cat books.
Cat Picture Books for Kids
Reading picture books with young children is one of the best ways to build literacy skills. If your little readers have a love of cats, having a good selection of children’s books about cats is a great way to keep their attention and motivate them to want to read more!
These picture books for little cat lovers are just some of our favorites that we know your child will love too. Kids will love discovering what happens when you give a cat a cupcake and if the Cat in the Hat can clean up his mess before mom comes home.
Kitty Cat is supposed to be getting ready for school, but she wants to purr and play instead. Will she make it to school on time?
The cat heads out into the world to explore using his whiskers, paws and ears. This book is a beautiful exploration of curiosity.
If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles to go with it. When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill some on the floor. Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll give him a bathing suit...Kids love this playful story and you will too. A great book for teaching cause and effect!
A cat named Mouse must escape his nemesis, the neighborhood dog and his friend, Cheese, tried to help him. This cute book is full of friendship and mixed-up names.
Cool Cat Pete learns how to turn something ordinary into something amazing and learns that there are no mistakes when it comes to art. Kids will love this book or any of the books in the Pete the Cat series - especially I Love My White Shoes and Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons (some of our favorites!).
This classic story of a mischievous cat is well-loved. The cat brings his friends Thing 1 and Thing 2 and creates a big mess. Will they clean it up before mom comes home?
Check out our Dr Seuss activities for Read Across America Day here!
Splat is a spunky, fuzzy black cat and he's excited and worried about the first day of school. Kids can learn to navigate through real-life situations by following along with Splat. This one is a good book for parents or teachers to read to soothe those first day of school jitters!
Max is a fearless and brave cat who chases mice. Except Max doesn't know what a mouse looks like. This fun book is about facing challenges, asking for help and realizing you don't have to be brave all the time.
Graphic Novels and Chapter Books About Cats
Emerging readers will enjoy this selection of books about cool cats, crazy cats, and cuddly cats.
Inspire your kids to write their own stories with this graphic novel. Li'l Petey, Flippy, and Molly introduce twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs to the art of comic-making. As the story unwinds with mishaps and hilarity, readers get to see the progress, mistakes, and improvements that come with practice and persistence.
(From the author of the graphic novel series Captain Underpants)
This collection of cat stories written by Betsy Byers (one of my favorite authors) and her daughters is perfect for beginning readers. Tales of crime-stopping cats, pirate cats and even cats who share recipes are included.
The Bad Kitty series is about a cat with a sense of adventure. Perfect for children who are just getting into chapter books, Bad Kitty will captivate kids and make them laugh.
Stick Cat is headed off to the city for a big day, but when someone gets in trouble, he must cross the alley and make a rescue. Kids will enjoy this funny and adventurous book.
Socks has always been a happy cat and the center of attention in his family. But that all changes when a new baby arrives. How will Sock handle all of the new changes?
This book combines a story about a lovable cat with a bit of science fiction and Flyball is ready to become the first cat in space!
Fierce warrior cats head out on big adventures to protect ThunderClan from their rivals, ShadowClan. But there may be a traitor amongst them. (This series was a HUGE hit among 4th and 5th graders at our school!)
Captain Natick does not want to take a kitten on board his ship as it sets sail, but his daughter convinces him that the scrawny yellow cat will bring him good luck. When he comes aboard, the adventures begin.
If your little reader loves pups, don’t miss our picks for the best kids’ books about dogs!
Non-Fiction Books About Cats
These non-fiction books about cats are perfect for young readers who want to learn all about cats. Learn how to understand cats’ behavior, pet care for a young kitty, and learn about different kinds of cats, both big and small. Reading this list of books is a good idea if you are a cat family, or are adding a cat to your family for the first time!
Did you know you can train cats to do tricks? This book will teach you everything you need to know to train and care for your pet cat.
Sink your claws into some cat facts! Learn the history, behaviors, physical traits, and special characteristics of cat breeds from around the world. Perfect for cat lovers and owners who want an in-depth look at some furry feline friends.
This book is perfect for kids who want to read and learn more about big, wild cats! This fact-based book contains beautiful illustrations and photographs of big cats from all over the world.
Cat owners are often confused by their cat's behaviors. With a bit of study, you can begin to interpret the language of your cat.
We hope you’ve found something you love in this list of cat books! From early readers to older kids, we’ve included some great books for everyone. If you know of a cat book that we’ve left off, please let us know! We’d love to read it and add it to our list.
Be sure to check out our other lists of children’s books before you go!
MEET THE AUTHOR
Amanda
As a mom of 4 kids (and the oldest of 4 kids herself), Amanda has over 30 years of parenting experience. A former special education teacher, Amanda has a Master’s degree in Special Education and a second M. Ed. in Educational Leadership.
When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys DIY projects, exercising, photography, and long walks through Target.
You can find Amanda on all social media at @parentingnestblog and @amandaseghetti
