Simon's Cat

Simon's Cat started as a viral YouTube animation series before being adapted into this collection of black and white cartoon strips. The book follows the adventures of a mischievous house cat and his long-suffering owner Simon. The cat's daily pursuits revolve around obtaining food, seeking attention, and creating chaos through various schemes and misadventures. Each strip captures distinct feline behaviors that cat owners will recognize, from early morning wake-up tactics to strategic furniture destruction. The minimal, expressive line drawings communicate volumes without using any dialogue. The relationship between pet and owner emerges through silent sequences showing their ongoing battle of wits and wills. The book taps into universal experiences of living with cats while highlighting the humor in the power dynamics between humans and their feline companions. These observations about cat behavior reveal deeper truths about the nature of pets' influence over their owners.

Readers celebrate the accuracy with which Simon Tofield captures typical cat behaviors and antics. Many note that cat owners relate strongly to the simple line drawings and scenarios depicted. Likes: - Clean, minimalist art style - Quick read that can be revisited - Appeals to all ages - Captures universal cat experiences - Works without dialogue Dislikes: - Some found it too short for the price - Collection repeats cartoons available free online - Minimal narrative structure - "More of a coffee table book than a story" - Goodreads reviewer Ratings: Goodreads: 4.16/5 (3,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (460+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.7/5 (40+ ratings) Multiple reviewers mentioned buying copies as gifts for cat-loving friends and family. Parents note their children request repeated readings, though the book wasn't specifically marketed to kids.

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🐱 Simon Tofield created the first Simon's Cat animation in 2008, inspired by his attempts to wake his owner for breakfast - the video went viral with over 58 million views on YouTube. 🎨 Before publishing the book, Tofield was a freelance animator who taught himself animation during his lunch breaks at work using a kitchen table as his workspace. 📚 The book's success led to an entire Simon's Cat empire, including multiple books, merchandise, games, and over 90 online animations that have garnered more than 1 billion views collectively. 🐈 The character design for Simon's Cat was based on Tofield's first cat, Hugh, who had a habit of demanding food by pawing at his owner's face in the morning. ✏️ Each illustration in the book was hand-drawn by Tofield using a Wacom tablet and Adobe Flash, maintaining the simple black-and-white style that became the series' signature look.