Book Review: I Am Pusheen The Cat

Pusheen's First Book

By Ghia Vitale
@GhiaWasHere
QuailBellMagazine.com

I Am Pusheen the Cat by Claire Belton was published in 2013, but it’s still worth repeating: this book made me squeal with joy. Pusheen is like Hello Kitty with an extra dose of kawaii.

For those of you who don’t know, Pusheen is a cat who’s become an internet icon. Pusheen’s name comes from the Irish word “puisin” (“kitten” in English). She was given this name when she was adopted from the shelter. Apparently, the animated Pusheen we all know and love is based off of a real life cat who lives in Connecticut with Belton’s parents. Pusheen’s first appearance was in a May 2010 comic strip called "Pusheen Things" on Claire Belton and Andrew Duff's website, Everyday Cute. From thereon, in 2011, Belton and Duff made a special site devoted to Pusheen. Now, Pusheen is featured on everything from Facebook stickers to merchandise of all kinds.

Pusheen is an adorable, chubby cat who you can’t help but fall in love with. According to Pusheen’s official site, “Pusheen is described as being a female domestic shorthair who is grey and tabby.” Her favorite pastimes include blogging and sleeping. She also loves food - throughout the book, you see her eating a variety of foods. (Personally, I think she looks cute eating sushi, which is why I bought a plush version of her eating sushi.) Her favorite feature is her toe beans. Her dream is to make friends all around the world. When you’re as cute as Pusheen, it’s not hard to make friends. If you read this book, you’ll understand why Pusheen is making friends all over the globe.

This book doesn’t really have a story. It is a series of pictures and mini-comics that feature Pusheen in different situations. Each one is more adorable than the next. The comics mainly deal with Pusheen’s life as a cat. They also feature Pusheen’s sister, Stormy, a cute little cat who looks like a gray storm cloud. There’s an entire section devoted to Stormy and she deserves it for being so cute. I always wanted to know more about Stormy and this book gave me the opportunity to get to know her better as a character.

If you’ve ever wanted a complete collection of comics and artwork about Pusheen, then this book is worth buying. The comics are simple and easy to relate to. After all, Pusheen is a cat with simple desires. One is titled “Things that I love” and lists Pusheen playing a keyboard, eating fast food, random toys, being with Stormy (titled “family”), sleeping, and on the internet. Don’t most of us love good food, relaxing, being with loved ones, exploring the internet, and having novelty in our lives? I think we can learn a lot from cats about the simple pleasures of life.

One thing’s for sure: Pusheen has become one of my favorite plus size icons. She makes being chubby look cuter than ever. My favorite comic was the one that said “big and beautiful,” and featured Pusheen in a pretty pink bow. Pusheen doesn’t obsess over how much she eats and lives her life to the fullest. Once again: We can all learn from a cat like Pusheen.

I read a complaint on Amazon that this book has “trashy language.” The worst word in this whole book is the word “butt.” Other than that, there’s nothing offensive in this book (that I can see, anyway). It’s a good book for young people or people who want to enjoy some very light reading about cats. Don’t expect a story line. This book is strictly for cute purposes.
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Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. As someone who writes a lot of non-fiction, it’s always a comfort to escape to the world of fiction. Pusheen’s world is cute and full of food and cuddles. I also like Pusheen because all of her material is appropriate for all ages. I’d bet nobody is going to get offended by a Pusheen cartoon because they’re just that innocent. I turn to Pusheen for the thrill of cuteness and my love for cats. Due to my living situation, I cannot have a cat and my Pusheen plushies are all I have to cuddle when my boyfriend isn’t around. Pusheen helps fill the void of not having a cat.

You can buy this book from Pusheen’s official store, Amazon, and many other platforms.