Hissy Fitz
Age 7+
General Fiction
Hissy loves to nap. It’s his main goal in life. Unfortunately, his people, the Fitz family, never, ever, leave him alone!
Hissy Fitz lives with some two-legged creatures who are destined to serve him in every possible way and understand his every whim. Sadly, these creatures are sorely lacking in their skills. For one thing — they touch him when they want to touch him. Don't they know that the two-legged are there for him to touch when he wants to — meaning when he wants food? Petting wakes him up! They speak to him — don't they know the two-legged should be seen (so Hissy knows where to demand food from) and not heard?! It's becoming intolerable. What is this irascible cat to do?
Creators
Patrick Jennings's books for young readers have received honors from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, Smithsonian Magazine, the PEN Center USA, the Woman's National Book Association, and the Chicago and New York Public Libraries. The Seattle Public Library awarded his book, Guinea Dog, the Washington State Book Award of 2011. His book, Faith and the Electric Dogs, is currently being adapted for the screen. His newest book, Hissy Fitz, was published in January 2015. He currently writes full time in his home in Port Townsend, Washington.
Michael Allen Austin is the illustrator of Hizzy Fitz by Patrick Jennings.
Reviews
This smartly written beginning chapter book introduces young readers to a cat named Hissy. Hissy Fitz, to be precise (he takes his human family’s last name). The play on words is a sound one, since Hissy is about to lose it, as he is desperate for a nap. Readers will chuckle along as they see a day played out from Hissy’s point of view. Case in point? ‘My eyelids feel heavy, Maybe I could steal a little nap here in the grass before—”There you are!” Georgie says, pushing open the kitchen door. If she comes near me, I will smack her. I know that’s not nice, but it’s how I feel. “I filled your food dish,” she says. She sets it down on the porch. Okay, now I feel bad.’ A menagerie of characters, including eight-year-old Georgie; twin brothers Zeb and Abe, who are in preschool; and other felines from the neighborhood, all make Hissy’s quest for sleep an adventure as he gets thwarted over and over again. With its short chapters, snappy dialogue, and fast-moving plot, this book will be popular with newly independent readers who enjoy Megan McDonald’s ‘Stink’ books (Candlewick), Suzy Kline’s ‘Horrible Harry’ titles (Viking), Hilary McKay’s ‘Lulu’ series (Albert Whitman), and other breezy chapter books.
School Library Journal
Young fans of YouTube’s Grumpy Cat will be smitten with Hissy, the crabby feline hero of Jenning’s (the Guinea Dog series) latest animal tale. Hissy grudgingly admits to loving Georgie Fitz, his eight-year-old primary owner, but he is not a fan of her three-year-old brother, Zeb (‘the untamed one’), who likes to chase Hissy. Abe, Zeb’s twin, is kindhearted, as are the children’s parents, but the household’s near-constant noisiness is taking its toll on Hissy’s ability to sleep and nap as much as he’d like. Driven outdoors, Hissy spends time terrorizing the neighborhood (an especially amusing moment sees him stealing a girl’s shoe) and has a nocturnal adventure with local cats, before coming home to the Fitzes and Georgie. Hissy’s drily delivered complaints and observations (‘Humans are the noisiest creatures alive. I’m not sure there is any escape’) entertain, while Hissy’s frustration at his dependence on large humans who annoy him will likely resonate with many a reader.
Publishers Weekly
