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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again pulling random words from a hat and finding a book that matches the prompts. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!
Book: “The Space Cat” by Nnedi Okorafor
Publishing Info: First Second, August 2025
Where Did We Get This Book: The library!
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Prompt Word: Cat
Book Description: Invaders from outer space have descended on Nigeria. They have no idea whose home they’re messing with.
Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It’s the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there’s more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He’s not just a house cat. He’s a space cat. By day, he’s showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship.
Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he’s excited to explore his new home—even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn’t shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth.
Kate’s Thoughts
I have almost never been without a cat in my life (outside of a few years in college where I had moved out of the family home and had roommates who couldn’t have a cat), and cats have always been a huge part of my existence. I’ve had wonderful cats, snotty cats, sweet cats, grumpy cats, the whole experience. I LOVE cats. So when our book club picked “The Space Cat” by Nnedi Okorafor, I knew that even if the Science Fiction elements didnt align with me, the cat would certainly make up for it. And I was mostly right.
This book is basically Nnedi Okorafor wanting to write a Sci-Fi tale about her in real life cat Periwinkle, and it is a great premise for a book for middle grade readers. While the Science Fiction themes were kind of not my thing as the genre itself just isn’t really my jam, EVERYTHING with Periwinkle was great. I say this as someone who has spent the past nine months with three unruly kittens/almost adult cats who have been completely joyful as well as being complete menaces, so all of the shenanigans that Periwinkle got into were a hoot for this harried cat mom. I also liked how Okorafor brought Periwinkle and the fictionalized version of his family (including Okorafor and her kid) to Lagos, bringing in a story about finding a new home in an unfamiliar place and the culture shock that can go with it (specifically how cats aren’t super well loved by many people in Lagos due to superstitions).
I can see middle grader readers, especially those who love cats, really enjoying this one. It’s just a fun kinda meta read.
Serena’s Thoughts
Like Kate, I too have had cats pretty much throughout my life. It is also my mission in life to indoctrinate my two boys into being cat lovers (so far, so good: one’s favorite stuffed animal is a toy cat, and the other is always hugging our ginger cat, much to the poor cat’s dismay). Between that and my enjoyment of science fiction, this one was definitely a fun read.
While middle grade fiction is my favorite, the funny cat quirks really carried this one. For anyone who has had cats, so many of the little nods to their eccentricities were spot on. What’s more, we’ve all looked at our cat and felt like there was something more going on, so the idea that they may be from space just checks out, really.
Beyond the cat-specific aspects, I liked the way the story explored themes of family, identity, and culture shock. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to truly confront the vast divides between cultures, but I appreciated the way the author dealt with these realities rather than trying to brush anything under the rug or avoid the issue altogether. And, of course, it was all done with a light touch, as is appropriate for the reading group.
Overall, this felt like a love letter from the author to her cat, and it’s the kind of thing that, I imagine, only authors who have truly proved their worth can pull off pitching to their agents! While I wasn’t perhaps as in love with it, simply because of the middle grade genre, this is sure to be a hit for readers in that group!
Kate’s Rating 7: A cute Sci-Fi action story centering a clearly beloved actual house cat, “The Space Cat” has some humorous moments and lots of relatable ones for cat owners young and old.
Serena’s Rating 7: Full of adventure and humor, this is a sure fire hit for middle grade readers, though perhaps not quite as strongly for adult readers.
Book Club Questions
- This book has three parts in the story: Periwinkle getting a new home, the move to Lagos, and the space war. Which part was your favorite part?
- If you have a cat, did you feel like Periwinkle’s behavior was spot on? Why or why not?
- What were your thoughts about the portrayals of the people of Lagos and how some of them seemed to view cats and other animals?
- What did you think of the space/Sci-Fi parts of the story?
- What were your throughts on the artwork of this book? Did it work in the story or not?
- If there were going to be more adventures of Periwinkle do you think you would read them?
Readers Advisory
“The Space Cat” is included on the Goodreads lists “Cat Lovers List”, and “Middle Grade Graphic Novels of 2025”.
Next Book Club Pick: “When the Tides Held the Moon” by Venessa Vida Kelley
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