One Mad Cat and the Missing Book

by Vicky Fang

Review posted September 18, 2026.
Candlewick Press, 2026. 58 pages.
Review written September 16, 2026, from a library book.
Starred Review

I'm writing this review in honor of my six-year-old great-nephew Hayden, whom I recently met for the first time, and who is learning to read. This book achieves that tricky combination of simple language, lots of picture clues for decoding, and an engaging story with a fun plot twist at the end to reward the beginning reader.

Best of all, there's a #1 on the side of this book, so it's the first book in a series.

In this book we meet Cat. She is mad. We learn the things she doesn't like (with pictures): toys, hugs, and jokes. Then there's a whole spread with other things, and small pictures: dust, noise, parties, wall-to-wall carpeting, bad art, rain, sock puppets, stripes, sneezing, car trips - "Well, you get the idea."

The only things Cat does like are
snacks,
naps,
and puzzles.

Oh, and her friends!

So when one of her friends, Hedgehog, has a missing book, Cat sees it as a puzzle she can solve. She asks questions and finds clues. She even diagrams a little map of how to get through her school to the library. Some of the things she finds along the way make Cat mad, but she keeps looking to help her friend.

And when Cat solves the puzzle, it's a surprise for everyone. But we're not surprised when Cat gets mad about it.

There are six chapters in this small book with about five spreads per chapter, and not a lot of words in each spread. It's the perfect opportunity for a kid just beginning to sound out words to read a real chapter book. Maybe with a little help, but with enough clues that they'll probably be able to do it themselves the second or third time around. And this is one that the parents won't get sick of hearing. In fact, like the best beginning readers, it's one that older kids will enjoy for the story, even if they already know how to read.