No Kiss for Mother

I have a real soft spot in my heart for willful kitties - which is to say, of course, cats in general - so this tale of Piper Paw, a boisterous young boy-cat who finds his mother's affectionate caresses more than a little distressing, really tickled my funny bone! Jolted out of a pleasant dream, in which he had just cornered a purple mouse, by Mother Paw's kiss, Piper starts his day in something of a snit, and things only get worse between them, as the day progresses. When Mrs. Velvet Paw finally goes over the line, kissing Piper and calling him by pet names in full view of his school friends, a real argument ensues, and Piper finds himself on the receiving end of a hearty slap! Will things ever be the same, for mother and son...?

With show more one friend describing No Kiss for Mother as one of his favorite children's books ever, and another decrying its use of corporal punishment - not only does Mother Paw slap Piper, in a fit of temper, but Father Paw threatens to spank him, at the breakfast table - I wasn't sure what I'd make of it. I imagine that many children will identify with Piper's desire to be a grown up, his efforts to distance himself from a parental figure that is a little bit too clingy. I also imagine that some parents will object, not only to the fighting, but to the cigar-smoking. I don't know what it says about me, but I wasn't unduly disturbed myself, as the violence here really struck me as being of the fairy-tale sort: real, but also unreal. I was, moreover, so charmed by the Tomi Ungerer's illustrations - done in pencil? - that I was willing to overlook a lot! show less

A picture book that pulls no punches. Piper Paw is incredibly rude, and his relationship with his parents is full of conflict. Would appeal to students with less-than-perfect home lives or who are constantly in trouble, as the tale of frustration, conflict, regret, and reconciliation will resonate with these students in particular. Grades 2 and up.

"[H]e usually manages to get himself
kicked out of class before homework inspection.
'It's better to have bad grades in conduct than in work,'
he tells the other pupils."

I think this is more of a memoir than fiction....

Not for little kids, despite the picture-book format. Nifty words like Vicious and Compassionately. Chapters, and lots of text. Fighting and sneaking smokes in the bathroom. But the ending is perfect, and understandable to all.

Ungerer is truly one-of-a-kind. [b:Moon Man|209777|Moon Man|Tomi Ungerer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1223641303s/209777.jpg|1399533] is still my favorite story, and [b:The Three Robbers|2586990|The Three Robbers|Tomi Ungerer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1318724848s/2586990.jpg|2604550] my show more favorite art, but I will continue to hunt for his lesser picture-books, too. show less

Having read this at the same time as Otto, I find it very odd that this is so nicely written, when Otto is not. Is it perhaps because it is written in English, whereas Otto is translated from German (presumably by the author).

A charming book - I have no idea why the publisher's hype on the cover calls it 'outrageous and controversial' - both words and pictures.

Having read this at the same time as Otto, I find it very odd that this is so nicely written, when Otto is not. Is it perhaps because it is written in English, whereas Otto is translated from German (presumably by the author).

A charming book - I have no idea why the publisher's hype on the cover calls it 'outrageous and controversial' - both words and pictures.

Having read this at the same time as Otto, I find it very odd that this is so nicely written, when Otto is not. Is it perhaps because it is written in English, whereas Otto is translated from German (presumably by the author).

A charming book - I have no idea why the publisher's hype on the cover calls it 'outrageous and controversial' - both words and pictures.

Immer geküsst zu werden ist doch peinlich - oder nicht? Eine kurze Geschichte über den Umgang miteinander, wenn man doch schon groß sein will, die Eltern einen aber noch als klein und süß ansehen... Und wie es sich für einen Streit gehört: die Ansichten knallen aufeinander, aber am Ende versöhnt man sich.