Advanced Children's Literature: Fantasy/Graphic Novel

Charise, Mericle Harper. FASHION KITTY New York: Hyperion, 2005.

Fashion Kitty is an adorable series and this written by a reviewer that ordinarily has a distinct distaste for graphic novels even though she thinks they are perfectly acceptable for children to read. Kiki Kitty lives with her 4 year old sister Lana and their parents. There are a few abnormalities about Kiki’s family. They are vegetarians with a cat named Mousie, they all prefer striped underwear and Kiki’s Mom lets the girls totally pick out their own clothes without regard to which colors or patterns they mix. This is the seed that gives birth to Fashion Kitty. Having a sister with the very opposite of good taste in clothing is also a contributing factor. Kiki becomes Fashion Kitty after she is hit on the head with a stack of fashion magazines and the sequence of events that follow. Fashion Kitty has unique super-cat qualities, such as a brain that can mix and match hundreds of outfits in a split second, supersonic feet that help her bounce, bounce really high before she takes off in flight to solve a fashion crisis that her ears always seem to pick up from near or far. Fashion Kitty is a younger Stacey London from “What not to Wear.” The message of being yourself, that different means different, not better or worse is a very positive one that will be picked up unknowingly by Fashion Kitty’s bevy of young female readers. The pink, white, and grey illustrations are truly unique and the multicolored cover replete with glitter and a curlyque font will draw in young female readers by the hundreds. One of the things that will be especially enticing about the book is that in the center of volume 1 there are full color full page drawings of Fashion Kitty. Readers are instructed to cut on the dotted line and abracadabra we have a flip book full of dozens of fashion combinations. There are three sections on each page, the hair and face, the mid section with blouse or jacket and the bottom with assorted shoes, skirts, and jeans. There are phrases on the back of each third of the page which changes as the wardrobe is flipped back and forth such as “super cute outfit” and “look at that swanky ensemble.” The book will be an instant hit with girls aged 6-11. A girl may complain about being required to read “Little House” or “Little Women” but complaining about Fashion Kitty is pos