Hi, Cat!
Macmillan (now Viking), 1970
Archie is walking down the street eating an ice cream cone. It’s a beautiful day, and he is on his way to meet his best friend Peter. Suddenly stopped by a newcomer to his neighborhood, Archie says, “Hi, cat!” The cat sits, looks him up and down, and purrs. It turns out to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Keats’s vibrant palette brings this humorous, fast-paced story to life.
Take a Closer Look
When Archie says hi to a stray cat, it sets off a slapstick chain of events that add up to a wonderful character study of a funny, imaginative boy. Keats’s pictures show more than his words tell, and this allows young readers to fill in the details of the story. Archie tries one way and another to entertain his friends on a slow summer afternoon, and each effort ends in a small catastrophe. That darn cat following Archie around is often the cause of the trouble. But when he tells his mother about his day, he realizes the cat just wants to be his friend. For Archie, this is a very interesting possibility.
Look Beyond the Book
Activities & More
Make-believe & Mischief
Cat crafts, paper-bag costumes, paint with ice cubes, make ice cream
Video Takes
Meow!
Saying “Hi, Cat!” is all it takes for Archie to get a feisty neighborhood feline into the Keats menagerie
