- Picture Books
- Ages 2–5
- Comedy
10 Cats
Part of the Emily Gravett universeOpen the collection
A chaotic, charming counting-and-colour picture book about kittens getting into paint. A strong early-years Gravett pick for toddlers and preschoolers who like cats, mess, counting, colours and visual comedy.
- Best for2–5
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Repetitive
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Gentle
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A white mother cat has nine kittens: some black, some striped, some patchy. When the kittens discover pots of red, yellow and blue paint, everything becomes wonderfully messy. 10 Cats is a simple concept book, but Emily Gravett makes it feel lively and funny through expressive cats, clean page design and escalating paint chaos. Children can count the cats, spot colour mixing, follow the mischief and enjoy the slapstick of kittens making a mess while the grown-up cat sleeps. Compared with Gravett's more metafictional books, this is much more straightforward and preschool-friendly, but the visual craft is still strong. It fills the early-years concept-book lane: beautiful enough for adults, accessible enough for very young children and useful for colour, counting and pet-themed recommendations.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 2–5
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 4–6
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Counting
- Colours
- Cats
- Preschool concepts
- Messy play
Avoid if
- Wants story arc
- Prefers no messy behaviour
- Wants older picture book depth
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Reluctant reader
- Starting nursery or preschool
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A bright, funny counting read-aloud young children join in with; the repetition supports prediction and early number talk.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the paint pots — a white mother cat with nine kittens, three pots of red and yellow and blue arriving, fur changing colour as the kittens get into the mess while the grown-up cat sleeps. The Gravett counting book that's also a colour-mixing slapstick.
- Animal companions
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The early-years Gravett — counting and colour-mixing and pet chaos folded into one, expressive cats and clean page design, the visual craft still strong at preschool scale. Less metafictional than her older books; more directly toddler-friendly.
- Quick to read
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
About the author & illustrator
Emily Gravett.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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