Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation races ahead in full color

Our youngest has always loved Bad Kitty. As a book series though, Nick Bruel’s lovable, paranoid, manic, and odd kitty has been much like the titular character. They felt like a graphic novel in its story and fun approach to it, yet its delivery had more in common with manga. That is most likely due to the fact that most non-Asian readers are used to having stories in color unless it’s in the funny pages. If that’s the case, then you’d probably categorize those who still use ‘funny pages’ in conversation as old and outdated. I’m looking at me. All of this rambling aside, Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation seeks to solve that quandary by being in full color.

Initially, I thought that the new colorized version of Bad Kitty was akin to simply coloring something. Would you colorize Miracle on 34^th Street? No, one doesn’t need to put it in color just to have people enjoy it more. That is the purist in all of us adults speaking. However, in reality, much like Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation, it probably is better in color.

That isn’t a slap to my intellect or my child’s intelligence. It’s also a combination of this book being funnier and having a story that any kid will relate to and can compare it to their life. It’s also great seeing Bad Kitty happy. Normally Bad Kitty is jealous, wants to be left alone, or trying to get out of a jam. Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation is a road trip book in which Uncle Murray wins a trip to a place that just happens to be a place that Bad Kitty is bonkers about.

Uncle Murray wins a trip to Love Love Angel Kitty World. It’s the destination for people who want to experience anything and everything related to Love Love Angel Kitty. Bad Kitty just happens to love all things Love Love Angel Kitty. Bad Kitty has the cat-eared-hat, toilet seat cover, socks, broccoli, anvil, chain saw, and more that have been adorned with its trademark pink, with a button nose, and impossibly round eyes.

It’s here where the familiarity of Bad Kitty, Uncle Murray, and anyone who has ever been to a theme park will jump headlong into the book. The result is something that’s familiar and laugh-out-loud funny. Our nine-year-old whined a little bit when I had to take the book and read it myself. He then pestered me for a day or two until I remembered to give it back to him.

It’s also a book that kids want to read. Maybe because it’s in color, but the chapters are clearly defined and the text-heavy pages were even a pleasure to read. Normally our son tunes out when I read, or help him read those pages. In Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation he didn’t tune out but did ask that I read to them to him, which I happily did.

Am I a simpleton for enjoying this book because it’s in color? No, at least I don’t want to think so. It’s refreshing to see Bad Kitty in a happy mood, as well as having the zany things that they normally get into. Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation is a hoot. It’s a very fun graphic novel-esque book that fans of the series will love and will motivate those new readers to discover a cat (and uncle) who they’ll learn more about.

Bad Kitty Goes on Vacation is by Nick Bruel and on Roaring Press Books, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.

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