Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Themes of jealousy and identity intertwine in this cleverly designed book about two emotive cats-one with red stripes, the other splotchy blue-who are always fighting, but secretly admire each other's talents. Airy background scenes with precisely detailed household objects accompany naif illustrations of the mutually envious felines. At least one tiny mouse can be found on each spread, and debut talent Desmond's often hilarious artwork expands on her understated prose with great success. First, the cats attempt to change their colors in order to be more like the other ("If I turn myself red, I will become fast and bouncy!" thinks Blue Cat, who gobbles strawberries, rose petals, and other red foods). Predictably, the cats become friends while accepting themselves for who they are, yet Desmond thwarts expectations with the late introduction of a talented new cat; endpapers stage a repeat of the two cats' attempts to change their colors, only this time with the desire to be yellow. With tongue-in-cheek humor, Desmond kneads at the complex emotions underlying friendships, without overemphasizing the message about appreciating oneself. Ages 4-up. Agent: The Bright Agency. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Two felines live in the same house but don't get along. Red Cat secretly wishes he were as smart as Blue Cat. And Blue Cat yearns to be as fast and bouncy as Red Cat. They tease and test each other every day, all day long, while trying to become like the other. Both employ magical thinking to change their personalities and abilities. For example, Blue Cat eats red crab, watermelon, and a variety of other red foods, hoping to become fast and bouncy, while his nemesis is watching. Red Cat shows him he is the smarter one by eating lots of blueberries, blue pudding, and-you get the idea. They finally learn to love who they are and accept each other as friends, until one day... Yellow Cat moves into the neighborhood. Mixed-media and collage artwork creates an energetic and slightly urban feel. Watercolors, pencil, ink, and pencil crayon give Red Cat and Blue Cat vibrancy against white or neutral backgrounds. Short and easy text on each page makes this a natural storytime selection. The illustrations have many clever details, and children will have fun poring over them. Pair this title with Jonathan Allen's Don't Copy Me (Boxer Books, 2012).-Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY (c) Copyright 2013. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Feline enemies become firm friends in this predictable but potentially pleasing debut. Bright, blotchy, child-like pictures show a stripy red cat and a spotted blue cat that live on separate floors of a sketchily drawn house. The cause of friction between them isn't clear, but readers are quickly informed that despite their scrapping, each is secretly envious of the other. Blue Cat wants to be "fast and bouncy like Red Cat," while Red Cat "wishe[s] he were as smart as Blue Cat." Each tries to change color, believing that will change their attributes. But eating appropriately colored food, rolling in paint and/or dressing up, although mildly amusing, doesn't change anything. Working together to get clean and comfortable, however, does the trick (not entirely convincingly), and soon the two are sharing advice on how to be more active and/or clever. Like the text, Desmond's playful illustrations are straightforward. Multiple vignettes on most pages appear to incorporate paint, ink and some printed papers with the two title colors dominating, but there's plenty of white space as well. One small portrait shows the family that likely lives in the house too, but the focus remains firmly on the fractious cats. The plot is familiar, but energetic artwork and a comical twist at the end may make it feel fresh enough to entertain a new generation of feline fanciers. (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
