Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Interactive pages colored with ink, paint and photo collage invite readers to revel in what felines already know: that the mere existence of cats is cause for festivity. Schwarz (The Adventures of a Nose) sets a jokester mood from the get-go, from the partial jacket, which lets cats peep out at readers, to text that begins on endpapers ("The cats aren't on this page"). Flaps, the first of them multi-layered and cat-shaped, and die-cut pages capture the essence of play. The "very friendly" Tiny, Moonpie and Andre, each a different primary color, entice the audience with dialogue balloons: "Hello. Who are you?... Are you nice?... You look nice." The felines plunge with wild abandon into a tableau of sumptuous yarn and later demand release from exotically decorated lift-the-flap boxes. Elsewhere, flaps unveil a pillow fight in progress, as well as a sutured stuffed dog named Biff, and a mishap results in a "tidal wave" of rogue fish, bewildered foils to their cat counterparts. The whirlwind of pure kinetic energy ensures that readers are wholly part of the impenitent kitty world and will be reluctant to say goodbye. Ages 3-up. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Through a series of instructive lift-the-flap pages, children meet Tiny, Andre, and Moonpie, three colorful and friendly moggies that want to play with yarn, and boxes, and readers. Each turn of the page is celebrated by the cats as it reveals not only what lies ahead, but even the option of going back a page when the appeal of yarn is almost too much to relinquish. The book finishes with an invitation to come back another day, which is no doubt the wish of any cat, or book-to be revisited and adored again and again. The artwork, like the story, is simple yet effective-bold, primary colors are set against white space with elements of collage thrown in to provide texture and a sense of reality. This book joins Melanie Watt's Chester (Kids Can) and Peter Catalonatto's Ivan the Terrier (S & S, both 2007) as picture books that are not so much reading experiences as explorations of how a book is a creative, interactive tool. Buy in duplicate, because these kitties will get a lot of attention.-Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Three playful cats invite readers to join in their feline games. Readers are coaxed to turn pages and lift flaps to facilitate the kitties' pillow fight, yarn tug-of-war, and cardboard box hide-and-seek. Lively brush and ink art, dynamic book design, and interactive text work well together in the simple story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Interactive flaps and a chatty, informal text in speech balloons ("Hello. Who are you?" / "Are you nice?" / "You look nice") invite readers to play with felines Tiny, Moonpie and Andr. The pages overflow with everything cats love: blankets to hide under, yarn to tangle and boxes for jumping into and out of. When a tidal wave of fish threatens to sweep the animals out of the book, the cats command the reader: "TURN" / "THE" / "PAGE!" / "You did it! You saved us. Phew!" / "Can you dry us, too?" / "Just blow on the page" Sequential flapsmultiples overlap on many pagesmake the game potentially endless, as readers are given permission to go back as well as forward. The eye-catching art features highly expressive cats in black line and red, yellow and blue watercolors, contrasting with collages depicting a knitted quilt, realistic fish, vibrantly patterned fabric, bright balls of yarn and highly decorated cardboard boxes. With a sense of immediacy and fun, this will provoke giggles and demands for numerous re-reads. A great choice for group sharing as well as one-on-one reader empowerment. (Lift-the-flap picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
