Thumpy Feet by Betsy Lewin

 

Lewin, Betsy. Thumpy Feet. New York: Holiday House, 2013. ISBN 978-0-8234-2901-1

Plot

The book begins with an orange cat introduced as Thumpy Feet. Thumpy Feet goes about his day eating kibbles, grooming himself, playing with a toy mouse, and taking a nap. The last page shows Thumpy Feet awake again and discovering a new toy—this time, a ball of yarn.

Analysis

Thumpy Feet is a playful cat, behaving in a way that all cat owners will recognize. A day in his life is also similar to a day in the life of a young child: eating, playing, and napping. Thumpy Feet’s animated personality is revealed through Lewin’s ink-wash illustrations and bold lines. A clean white background puts all the focus on the lively cat, and action lines in the illustrations effectively demonstrate movement, such as when Thumpy Feet wiggles his bottom and tail preparing to “pouncy pounce” on a toy mouse. Thumpy Cat’s day-to-day activities are described in just a few repeated words per page. Placement of the rhythmic text, primarily action verbs (“licky lick”) and onomatopoeia (“smacky smacky”), adds to the illustrations, further representing movement with angles and curves. Most of the text is in lively reds, pinks, and oranges, but when Thumpy Cat begins to fall asleep the text is presented in calm blues and purples. The final page adds an element of surprise and excitement—Thumpy Cat is awake again with wide eyes fixed on a ball of yarn as the text exclaims “looky look!” in bold red.

Children and adults alike will appreciate the familiar, animated activities of Thumpy Feet as he enjoys his day without getting into or causing trouble. No people or furnishings are represented in the illustrations, leaving all the focus on the playful cat. Thumpy Cat could belong to any family, anywhere.

Awards and Recognition

Thumpy Feet received a Kirkus starred review.

“Anyone who has ever known and loved a cat will be instantly captivated by Lewin’s fun-loving feline creation… Chock-full of personality and charm, Thumpy Feet will be warmly welcomed by readers everywhere.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Lewin’s Thumpy Feet may exist in an analog format, but he’s as endearingly, idiosyncratically feline as any YouTube star. [Lewin] reminds readers how much fun cats are to watch—and how they couldn’t care less about whether we’re watching them.” – Publishers Weekly

Connections

With large illustrations and minimal text, this is a great book for pre-readers to practice storytelling. Have them tell you a story about the pictures and activities in the book. Also consider these other activities:

Read additional books illustrated by Betsy Lewin, such as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin (Caldecott Honor and New York Times bestseller) and Two Eggs, Please by Sarah Weeks (Publishers Weekly starred review).

Read other books about pets, such as:

• Pet Show! written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
• Cat Nap written and illustrated by Toni Yuly
• Not Norman: A Goldfish Story written by Kelly Bennett and illustrated by Noah Z. Jones
• Dog's Colorful Day written and illustrated by Emma Dodd
• Just Me and My Puppy written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Let these books spark a conversation about the types of pets people have and how they act similarly and differently. Consider creating simple animal masks and engaging in dramatic play.

*This review was written for a youth literature class offered through Texas Woman’s University.