Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was really cute. I felt that the images were very warm and would be a good bedtime story without getting the reader too excited by tons of bright, flashy colors. I enjoyed at the end where it discussed the facts regarding cats think in memories rather than thoughts and the theories that neuroscientist have been considering. It made the story feel authentic to what science currently believes.

I felt that the story jumped quite a bit. In the middle of the book, there was a cute section about how George remembers soft things like being told that he is a good boy by his owner and how he remembers that more than food. Then the next page is him wondering why people wear shoes. I think the idea was that his thoughts jump around much like we assume cats' thoughts jumps around, but the story did not feel fluid. The end of the story discusses love, so I feel like it all of the actions that make George George could have built up to the love he has for his owner.

I know that the author/illustrator mentioned that all the illustrations are created by them in adobe, but there are a few that may make people assume AI such as George' Favorite Things there is a cat with only three limbs and no tail, and there is no torso or head in the bed when George dozes on top of feet.

Overall, this is a very cute story.

This is one of those rare moments where I truly regret that I can't give a book 10 stars! It was such a cozy, delightful, and heartwarming read. It made me smile, it made me think, it sparked my curiosity — but most of all, it helped me breathe easier and truly relax.
The art is absolutely phenomenal — it’s so beautiful I genuinely want a print copy for my shelf!
One thing that could be improved is the layout. At times, it felt a bit haphazard and borderline chaotic, which disrupted the reading flow slightly.
Other than that, this book was perfect, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read it.

Unfortunately, there's many reasons to believe this is AI generated 'work' - the continuinity errors, the repetitive style of the text, and the author's linked social media accounts showing zero history of any previous artwork, either personal or professional. I can't in good conscience give this a star rating of any kind.

AI tools steal the work of real artists to produce soulless derivatives, and it's not only insulting and unethical to try and profit off them in this way, the lack of quality is obvious.

I enjoyed this lovingly and adorably illustrated picture book by Caroline Bell. The theme of mindfulness gives the reader a gentle and charming reminder to notice all that’s good and calm and sweet around them.

Very cute art style. It's not your usual children's book. I'm rating it not as high as I would like because I found the story to be just random thoughts with no theme or pattern. George is either a deep-thinking human or a regular house cat, which makes the book feel like a collection of multiple short stories instead of a single coherent one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for this ARC.

I thought the illustrations were very cozy and warm. The book was enjoyable. I enjoyed hearing George’s thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of What George Thinks by Caroline Bell for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was an adorable read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a contemplative and mindful tale that is filled with cute illustrations and a story that would suit anyone. I was not sure what to expect from this story and I am so glad that I took a chance on it. The author/illustrator did such a great job of creating a tale on “being still.” This story would be great for any audience as the illustrations are adorable and connect well to the text and that story could be appreciated by both young children and older and even adult (like myself) readers. I could see this story being incorporated into a middle school or even high school lesson on being mindful and taking the time to just be and breathe. It is a very timely tale and the fact that it is from the perspective of a cat makes it less preachy and more relevant, timeless, and ageless. This book would be a great gift for anyone and I think it’s a must-read and must-purchase for all animal lovers, anyone looking for a calm read, and for libraries serving any age and demographic. I would definitely read another of Caroline Bell’s books again!

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc


While I expected a sweet picture book about a cat, all we really got was the same sentiment over and over. And upon further review there are claims that the art in this book is created with AI, I went back and there are some clear examples of this- feet in a bed with no torso or upper body, three front legs on the cat.
I can’t in good conscience give this book a review higher than two stars.

Incredibly sweet. I loved the illustrations as well! Kissing my cat as I write this. It’s a quick read to warm up our day. Here’s to more books about cats 🩷

⊰ 1 star

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I will be giving this book 1 star due to the use of AI for the images in this book. I thought the images were quite cute (though a bit bland), but there are obvious AI mistakes in the images and the style of the images throughout the book changes so much.
The writing style was bland and very repetitive, even though not even all of the 100 pages have text on them.

I genuinely loved this sweet, soft story. I just want to run home to my cats and snuggle them! A reminder to be still and quiet is one we all need from time to time.

Truthfully don’t know what the point of this book was and then come to find out, the illustrations are AI produced. 😑🙃
Big no no for me.

The writing itself was repetitive. I see what the author was trying to point out, about the beauty of sitting still and seeing the world through a cat’s POV. But even that fell flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley, Chantilly Cat Press and Caroline Bell for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This was just a surprising hopeful book. There was so much feelings and heart that went into each illustration and it shows so much. The story itself was simple but powerful

This one was very cute and sweet, but I wish there was more of a story. It was very cozy and interesting to read, but it felt more like a goft book than anything.

This was adorable!!! George is an absolute sweetheart. The illustrations were just amazing. So cozy and cute I wanna cry. Also, George teaching us the art of being still was so lighthearted yet it taught me so much.
Cat TV is absolutely the cutest thing ever, I'll have to watch Cat TV (or how George calls or 'perfect') more often.
I am absolutely obsessed. This melted and healed my heart. So glad I decided to read this ☹️🩷

Caroline Bell has made this little gem as a love letter to her cat George. George is quiet and loving, and Bell spends the book pondering what George is thinking and feeling. It is not a joke book, rather a real meditation on what our pets' inner lives are like. A great gift for any cat lover.

I went into What George Thinks When He Sits Still expecting something soft, cozy, and heartwarming. You know, the kind of quiet little story that feels like a purring cat on your lap on a rainy afternoon. Instead, what I got felt more like a list.

The premise is sweet enough: a cat named George and what might be going through his head while he sits still. As a cat owner myself (although, sadly, mine remembers the sound of the food bowl a lot more than the sound of my voice), I was ready to be charmed. But the book doesn’t really tell a story—it just catalogs George’s daily behaviors in a loosely poetic, observational way.

Now, that approach might work if the visuals carried it. And to be fair, the illustrations are cute. There’s a clear affection for George in every brushstroke. But there’s a lack of consistency that really threw me off. Sometimes George has long fur, sometimes short. Sometimes he has stripes, then suddenly he doesn’t. Even the page colors change in ways that feel random rather than intentional. Maybe it’s supposed to be whimsical, but it just came across as… sloppy? Disconnected?

I’m not a graphic novel expert, but I do expect a certain harmony—a rhythm between text and image, between one page and the next. Here, everything felt a bit too unstructured to leave a lasting impression.

Ultimately, this was a disappointment. I wanted to love it, and I still think George is a good boy (most of the time). But I was hoping for more story, more cohesion, more… something. Instead, I just felt like I was flipping through a scrapbook with no clear thread.

This is a cute book that is written as a love letter to the authors cat.
Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc.

The art is magnificent and George is so charming. I like that it has cat notes at the end. I have no flaws to say, because I think the book is lovely. Perfect for cat lovers!

A beautiful little graphic novel that emphasises the beauty in taking life slow and appreciating the quieter things in life and being appreciative of what is around you and the joys of slowing down. This book has beautiful and really important messages especially for younger audiences. The illustrations are also gorgeous!!