Customer Reviews
Meow, Hooray & At Last! 
2008-04-25
Ten years ago, when I finally figured out what Asperger's was and, at the same time, I discovered that I had several Asperger's children, and a few Asperger's adults, on my caseload as a psychotherapist, I began searching for easy ways to explain Asperger's. It was, and still is, an uphill struggle.
I'd already found what, to my knowledge, remains one of the best general books on Asperger's Syndrome: Tony Attwood's Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. It's great for adults wanting a clear, solid understanding -- parents, family members, teachers, mental health professionals, scout-leaders, church leaders, and friends of high school reading level & above. Later, Attwood produced some DVDs, Dr. Tony Attwood presents: Asperger's Syndrome, Volume 2, Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals with Dr. Tony Attwood, which broadened his outreach. Since then, AS book-publishing has become a cottage industry.
But until I read Kathy Hoopmann's "All Cats Have Asperger's Syndrome", I hadn't found something quick, accurate and easy to read & to understand. Hoopmann makes the common cues of Asperger's Syndrome not only instantly accessible but memorable. Even children can read it, and say, "Oh, yeah! That's Joey!" It's ideal for a fast, simple introduction.
The pictures -- all kittens -- are pure delight! Each one nails its idea. And the book invites re-reading -- it's almost addictively fun. I recommend it highly to those who want a confused grandparent or a modestly curious neighbor to better understand a child who, so often, operates out of a different world, while forced to live in this one.
And if you get them hooked, and they want to know more, then give them Attwood's book or DVDs. After that, you can broaden them with more specialty books -- teens (such as Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence; Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens & Teens Get Ready for the Real World), girls (Asperger's and Girls -- girls/women are a bit different, with only a fifth as many girls as boys with AS), resources (the Oasis on-line site, Tony Attwood's on-line site), etc. There are many good books & on-line resources, with more all the time.
And finally, hopefully, they can begin to see not only the Asperger's Syndrome & what it means/doesn't mean, but they can also see, most important of all: the real child in all his beauty, uniqueness & potential!
By the way, I wouldn't recommend this to explain AS to someone with AS. It's a book of analogies, something someone with AS will have a hard time understanding, and they may take away wrong & negative messages.
it made all the difference 2008-04-05
I stopped at a book store after receiving my son's diagnosis of AS. I was looking for a book by Tony Atwood and stumbled across "All Cats..." It was a godsend. That evening when I told my son that we finally knew what was "different" about him, he and I read this book together. He was 8 at the time. If I were a millionaire I would buy this book and have every psychologist in the world give it to clients when presenting the diagnosis.
Was this book written about me, mommy? 2008-03-31
An amazing book, written delightfully for the innocent eyes of a child. Every page is the perfect expalnation, defining Aspergers with simplicity, accuracy and delightful humor. My son asked if this book was written just for him, for he found himself in every page. Thank you Kathy Hoopmann for your beautiful heart.
All Cats have Aspergers - An Explanation for Everyone 2008-03-30
Unlike a lot of conditions, Aspergers isn't something that can be detected by scans. It is basically a collection of attributes which actually differ in strength and in presence from one person to another. "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" basically bypasses all of the technical stuff and attempts to cover each of the symptoms with a one or two line answer and an appropriate picture.
It's surprisingly detailed and accurate while still being a book you can read in under 30 minutes. It's suitable for explaining aspergers to relatives, parents, friends and school children.
Every aspie should have a copy.
My Son w/Asperger's Loved It! 2008-03-28
His two brothers also thought it was wonderful - the descriptions are accurate and the pictures of the cats delightful. I recommend this to anyone for a simple way to learn about a complicated mindset. Thank you to Kathy Hoopmann!
Do you know a kid with Asperger's? 2008-03-22
All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome takes a playful look at Asperger Syndrome (AS), drawing inspiration from the feline world in a way that will strike a chord with all those who are familiar with AS.
Delightful color photographs of cats bring to life familiar characteristics such as sensitive hearing, scampering at the first sign of being stroked and particular eating habits.
Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality and potential of people with AS.
This engaging book is an ideal, gentle introduction to the world of AS.
A "must have" book... 2008-03-17
What a gem!!!! My 8 year old has Aspergers along with a variety of other physical and mental health issues. He has had an affinity for cats since an early age, and I bought this book as a way to help him feel good about himself....it is worth every penny!! Beautifully written and illustrated (absolutely spot-on photography!!), there are just enough words to provide the reader with an overview of what it feels like to suffer from this isolating disorder, yet it also presents the affliction in such a way that my child does not feel like an outsider...with its humorous approach, it allows him to identify with a living, breathing creature (the cat) that is acceptable to others, therefore giving him away to communicate to others that while he is certainly different, he is not a "wierdo" as he sometimes gets called by those uneducated/uninformed about Aspergers and its unique/quaint associated manifestations. This book will long remain a favorite...he shows it to those he wants to help understand how he feels, and so far there has been an overwhelmingly positive response!! I believe that even if a child is not ready to share his/her challenges with others, this book can provide comfort to them...it can also be used by the parent to educate others about how the child views life around them.
There are no lengthy explanations or detailed discourses regarding Aspergers in this book, but again, that is not the intention of the book.... this picture-loaded book is designed to be simple and help both the child and those around him/her feel more at ease with the way Aspergers children interpret life and act upon their feelings. Great addition to your library!!
Comfort and fun 
2008-03-02
I normally dispise cutesy books like this and I am not really a cat person. But I saw this and started flipping through it, nodding my head-almost crying. It's such a well-written, simple book that is very heartwarming, charming, and funny. It makes finding more things to love about my son so much more fun! I've given this book as a gift to several family members to explain AS to them in a way that reminds them that there are wonderful things about my son, many of them can even be attributed to his AS. It's very positive. I also recommend this one to teachers of inclusion classes who will have a child with an ASD in their classroom, to help them and their students know what to expect in their new classmate.
Please note, this is not (nor should it be) an in-depth, scholarly work on AS.
All cats have Aspergers Syndrome 2008-03-02
Understanding what type of book this is, it works very well. I have a 7 yr old grandson who was just diagnosed with Aspergers, and when I got the book, we read it together. He was delighted with the pictures and on many of the pages he would say "that's me!" It was a great way to open the door to discussing his syndrome with him. Of course, not all characteristics are true of all people, so we would say, "well that is not really like you....you are much more..." But it did open doors to talk about things maybe he did not understand, or see why other peers may tend to treat him a little differently or why he would tend to see things differently. As I said it is simple, but a great source of basic understanding that can be used to go beyond that point.
My daughter loved this book... 2008-02-25
I bought this book because my 11 year old daughter has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I thought it would be a helpful book for her as well as her younger sister who is 8 years old to read. I was a little wary about her reading the book at first because I was afraid that where the book touches on some of the down points of AS might upset my daughter. However, she absolutely loved the book! She read it over and over. It also helped my younger daughter to understand more what her sister was going through. And the pictures of the kittens are so cute!! My daughter's principal even borrowed the book to use for a presentation she did on Asperger Syndrome and Autism. I would highly recommend this book.
