- Graphic Novels
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
Looshkin: The Maddest Cat in the World
Book 1 of 3 in LooshkinView the full series
A brilliantly anarchic comic collection for children who like their stories fast, daft and almost impossible to predict. Looshkin is especially strong for Bunny vs Monkey fans, reluctant readers and children who respond to visual comedy more than tidy plotting.
- Best for7–10
- FormatGraphic
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Absurdist
- Irreverent
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Looshkin may look like a cute blue cat, but ordinary pet rules do not apply. Leave him alone for a moment and the house may fill with bubbles, pigs may appear where pigs absolutely should not be, and reality itself may start to wobble. This first reformatted Looshkin volume introduces Jamie Smart's unhinged comic creation in a rush of slapstick chaos, surreal turns and visual jokes. The stories are short, punchy and built for rapid-fire laughter, with a mischievous energy that makes each page feel like it might explode into something ridiculous. Perfect for children who love comics, silly voices, unpredictable animals and nonsense that escalates far beyond what any sensible adult would allow.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–10
- Independent · 7–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Reluctant readers
- Comic fans
- Bunny vs monkey fans
- Dog man fans
- Absurdist humour
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Neurodiversity or learning differences
In the classroom
How it works in school.
An anarchic, hilarious comic series — catnip for reluctant readers and a classroom-library favourite.
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 kick is unhinged chaos — a small blue cat destroying his family one impossible disaster at a time, the household never knowing what reality the cat will break next. The Looshkin opener for a child who's burned through Bunny vs Monkey and wants something even looser.
- Adventure and freedom
- Breaking the rules safely
- Revenge on adults
- Secret world
- Talking to animals
Why parents love it
The Looshkin opener — Jamie Smart at his most unstructured, short comic episodes designed for laughter rather than plot. Strong for the kid who's done with Bunny vs Monkey and wants more chaos. Pages built for re-reading in bursts.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
Looshkin.
3 books · open the series →
About the author
Jamie Smart.
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.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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