What George Thinks When He Sits Still by Caroline Bell offers a gentle and introspective look into the mind of George as he navigates his thoughts while sitting quietly. The book succeeds in capturing the often-overlooked beauty of mindfulness and the simple act of pausing, inviting readers to reflect on their own inner dialogues.

Bell’s writing is poetic at times, and the concept itself is quite charming — exploring how even moments of stillness are filled with vibrant mental activity. The illustrations (if applicable) add a soothing visual layer that complements the theme nicely.

However, the pacing can feel a bit slow, and some readers might find the narrative a little repetitive. While the book aims for a meditative tone, it sometimes struggles to fully engage, particularly for those looking for a more dynamic or varied reading experience. The philosophical undertones are thoughtful but could have been developed with more depth or nuance.

Overall, What George Thinks When He Sits Still is a calming read that will resonate with those interested in mindfulness and quiet contemplation, though it may not leave a lasting impression for everyone.

It was cute, cozy, and meditative. One can learn a lot from the the moods and observation from the POV of a relaxed kitty as the author managed to do with soothing verse and illustrations.

This was the cutest book!!! All the illustrations are so adorable and I was just so caught up in how simple, yet detailed they were.
And the story was super cute too!!!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this ARC!

Setting aside what I have read on Goodreads and Netgalley after the fact, I quite enjoyed What George Thinks When He Sits Still. I think we could all learn a lot from cats - their quietness, their stillness, and their sharp observations. Grab your favorite cat and have fun reading this little book. #meow

Cute, Funny, and heartfelt - “What George Thinks When He Sits Still” will make you want to sit on the couch with a cup of tea and just think for a while. It’ll make you appreciate the slow moments in life just like George does!

Let us all take a lesson from George and just slow down. Notice the movements of those around you, embrace the environment you are in, and just find a nice, warm slab of hardwood floor to sunbathe in.

A very quick and delightful read, Caroline Bell does a wonderful job of bringing readers into George's world and allowing them to ruminate in the comforts of cat life.

However, as other readers have noted, I became skeptical of the use of AI in this graphic novel when I noticed issues with the cat illustrations: missing paws, random paws, and tails sticking out of boxes. It was definitely a bummer when my suspicions were further heightened when other readers noted the same issues. It brought into question whether or not the author also used AI to write the graphic novel.

Tread carefully if you choose to pick up this graphic novel.

It’s such a cute book for any cat parents out there. I enjoyed reading and looking at those illustrations so much.

Thank you NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for an eARC copy!

What George Thinks When He Sits Still focuses on George the cat in the quiet moments of his life. In theory, this would have been a great book for me, but unfortunately it did not live up to my hopes for it. As I was reading through it, there was just something off that I wasn't entirely certain of. The text was all different sizes and the formatting was weird, especially the cat notes at the very end. Sometimes there were a number of pages in a row that were just illustrations, which would be cute if they weren't repeating images. Then I looked at some other reviews of the book and I was finally able to put my finger on what was going wrong: AI. Looking closer at the images it became apparent that the illustrations were made with AI. George does not have a consistent design throughout the book, sometimes he has three ears, his tail will be short and then long and then coming out of a plant or box instead of his body, and other times the illustrations were super repetitive in a way that just did not make sense. I don't condone the use of AI to illustrate books, so I cannot recommend this one and I don't think anyone should buy it.

This book was a super cute quick read. Nothing about this was very groundbreaking information, but the idea of this book had the potential to be something sweet.

I liked the message of being able to appreciate things in your life even when they don't seem like a big deal, and to appreciate the moments that might be overlooked. As a cat owner, this was something cute to read and think about these moments that I have with my cat.

One thing in this book I didn't like as much was the repetitiveness. The image of the cats and the color scheme (while cute) lacked a cohesive appearance, with the cat changing throughout the book despite being illustrations of the 'same' cat.

Definitely a new fav in terms of literature specifically for children, ironically I read this next to my 2 dogs cuddling on the couch and reading aloud. The 2 little furry guys seemed to enjoy hearing a bout George☺️

This is such a sweet read.
It's short enough to read in a short time but very sweet and insightful and beautifully illustrated.

gentle, cozy, and warm reminder to sit still and be aware of those around you. wonderful easy read accompanied by soft and comforting photos.
i’m sure this would be a wonderful kids book, teaching them of awareness, but also the importance of self analysis.

also, gentle reminder to hug your cat!

When I picked this one up, I thought it would be a cute children's book that would give me a fun time and something to enjoy. On the contrary, it really has me sitting here reflecting on how moments of stillness aren't a lack of something happening but rather us as beings being present, grounded and really sitting with our thoughts, feelings and surroundings. Even when you're not doing something monumental, you're still here, still sitting in quiet, observant. Always filled with an emotion, a thought, love, content, or anxiety. George shows you the importance of stillness. How reflective, healing and precious it can be. The illustrations are the cutest I've ever seen, so soft and cosy, it felt like a warm hug that surprisingly made me reflect on a lot of things while also going "aaawwww" at George and the illustrations. Enjoy the little things in life, those small moments that remind you that you are human, that you are loved and that there are so many things in life that you enjoy.

My thanks to Chantilly Cat Press for a review copy of this book via NetGalley

A beautiful picture book with a great aesthetic and palette which I liked very much and also which captures a sentiment perhaps appreciated even more by older readers (though one valuable and relevant for children too in the current times)—that of sitting in silence and stillness and appreciating what’s around one and what one has—nature, the people who love us, and just the comfort and warmth we have at any given moment.

In the book we get a look at what George the Cat might be thinking or feeling when he sits still: the beauty of the quiet and of silence, something that can bring about happiness of its own kind. He might pick up on his human’s musing on the flowers or he might contemplate the wind, or he might even nap, comfortable and secure in the love that surrounds him. He watches a moth at different times of the day or simply enjoys the softness and warmth of the bed. He imagines the purr of the stars and the smell of warm milk or sometimes he simply sits beside his human, each conscious of the other’s love.

The palette, largely beige/cream (George is a ginger tom) with other colours in muted shades gives the same gentle, comforting vibe as the book and its sentiment (of love, of safety, of care) as we move from everyday moments to the world of imagination and dreams, between day and night and times in between.

This book is simple but subtly puts across its message, one I hope the intended readership picks up on too: that one needs to be still and in silence at times, simply noticing the small everyday things around us, whether the flowers or the ticking of the clock. Likewise, escaping into the world of dreams and the imagination has its own rewards, too, bringing about happiness of another kind. Amidst all the noise, bombardments and overloads of information, and brightness and distractions of the world today, this is an invaluable message for all of us: to spare a few moments for silence and enjoy the treasures it offers, and those unveiled by just being with your thoughts.

A beautiful book and sentiment which fills one with a great deal of warmth.

p.s. The author also shares with us the real George’s favourite things, among them Cat TV (the window) and the boxes!
A lot of reviews have suggested that the art here is AI, which may be, but I still thought it was very cute, with a great palette and incorporates a wonderful sentiment

Hi, I’m Nilima—a cat mom who reads and tries to practice stillness. I just finished reading this book during my work break. It’s short and you can read it in no time. oh, how sweet and adorable this book is! What I loved the most about the book is the theme of it. Stillness—something I really want to embody.

George, the little ginger cat in this book sits still and thinks. Sometimes, he does nothing. And stillness makes life easier for him. He learns, he enjoys, he loves, he slow blinks at his human and he simply is. And honestly, like George, and like all the other cats, we humans also need to pause, take a deep breath, sit still, be quiet, wonder a little, or just do nothing. A moment of stillness? Something we need to have on daily basis.

That’s what George teaches us. And my cats teach me the same, every single day.

Now let me talk about the illustrations. Very charming. From start to finish, this book made me smile and warmed my heart. Loveyougeorge.

It's 3.5/5 stars!

This felt like a love letter to the author's cat. It was cute but i enjoyed the illustrations more. Maybe try making a coloring book? George is so cute

The illustrations are absolutely adorable and make the book in my opinion. I will bump my rating up to 4 basically based off of that. The book didn’t feel like it actually had a purpose but just kinda meandered with a few things thrown in to reference the title. If the illustrations weren’t a part of it I honestly probably wouldn’t recommend it:/

Edited to say I’m dropping my rating down because I’m seeing allegations that the artwork is AI which I do not support. The art is what makes the book because without it it’s just a stream of thoughts that don’t connect

This was very disappointing.
At first I thought this was the most adorable thing ever, but then things started feeling weird. The illustrations of George changed style from one page to the next, the three front paws, a leaf the same color as the cat's fur, the cat's fur color being all over the place, disembodied feet in the bed, tails where they should not be, and that's to name a few.
The text started off ok, but it felt weird and disjointed.

The author is credited as illustrator as well and when going to look them up, nothing.
I am aware that an artist can have multiple styles, but I own zines by over 10 artist that are more cohesive than this book.

When I first read this I was going to give it 5 stars. It's a love letter to cats and I love cats so it's obvious right?

I then looked at other reviews which suggested the illustrations were AI. I'll be honest, I didn't notice anything strange about the illustrations at first. So I read it again and unfortunately I also believe these illustrations are AI. There is no evidence anywhere online that Bell illustrated this book and no illustrator is listed for this book. There are a few discrepancies with the drawings and to date there doesn't seem to have been any response from Bell regarding the AI allegations. NetGalley has links to promotional content which include an Instagram page that appears to have been deleted, and a TikTok/Youtube account with an AI-generated video of cats (which has not been tagged as AI but very obviously is).

I don't believe AI should be used in creative spaces. More than happy to update this review if evidence is given regarding the illustrations.

Publishing date: 28.05.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Chantilly Cat Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

I am heavily mixed on this book.

First of all, while it was sweet and wholesome, it was very very rambly and repetitive. No plot, just vibes, but not the kind I enjoy.

Second, I suspect the art is AI. The cat changes in appearance every single page. Sometimes fluffy, sometimes short hair, sometimes an ash blonde color, other times orange. I get that different lighting and environments do change the look of a color, but not this much, and not in these environments. Also there are tails popping in and out of seemingly closed boxes, paws disappearing in the background, and feet bending backwards for the cat. I just get a really bad feeling about the art.

Third, if I were to recommend this book to someone I would not know who to recommend it to. Cat lovers might like it, but dint it lacks substance for the price, children might enjoy the art, but find other books more entertaining. Just a hard book to actually recommend.

Giving this two stars, and if the art isn't AI I might bump it up a little. But it is overall not really a book for me.