  | Serafina makes waves Author: Burgess, Matthew | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Serafina, a young cat who hates water, faces off with her nemesis when her parents sign her up for swimming lessons.
| Illustrator: | Rosenthal, Robin |
Reviews:
School Library Journal (+) (11/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/01/2025 Gr 1–2—Despite the fact that Serafina loathes water, the "Powers that Be" (her parents) have decided that the time has come for her to learn how to swim. Serafina finds herself at the edge of "a disgusting pit of seething water." Her friend Lennie, a goofy dog in hilarious swim trunks, gets overexcited and knocks Serafina's stuffed animal, Noodles, into the water. A split-second decision to rescue her beloved friend finds Serafina "horrified, flabbergasted and gobsmacked" in a soaking wet "cat-astrophe." Once the shock subsides, Serafina finds that she loves the water! Readers will enjoy seeing all her water exploits, including a grand finale of Serafina water skiing. The pictures capture Serafina's emotional journey from disgust to triumph, and readers, especially those with a water aversion, will connect with this child's plight and laugh right along with her aquatic adventures. VERDICT Rich vocabulary and a hilarious water-hating cat make this a stellar choice; highly recommended and highly enjoyable.—John Scott - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Other - 12/08/2025 Serafina, the gray feline star of this picture book series starter from Burgess (Fireworks) and Rosenthal (Sweet Babe!), makes it clear from the jump that she "hates/ loathes/ DESPISES/ WATER." She’s an outlier in her family: in addition to staying in on rainy days, Serafina drinks water from a ladder-height loop straw, rejects baths, and refuses to participate in a beach vacation. When her exasperated parents attempt to drag her to swimming lessons, she unleashes a full repertoire of avoidance tactics. But when Serafina’s rabbit stuffy Noodles is inadvertently pushed into the drink, the puss jumps in without thinking, and after the initial shock subsides, experiences "an intriguing floaty feeling" and a full transformation to veritable cat-fish. An abundance of comically arch turns of phrase ("Serafina finds herself dangerously close to a disgusting pit of seething water") and pastel-toned digital images make this a buoyant initial outing. Alongside sweetly goofy characters engaging in sly anthropomorphic comedy, readers should be eager to take the next plunge. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) - Copyright 2025
