Black cat, white cat

PreS-Gr 1-Black Cat is completely black, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. He goes out only during the day. By contrast, White Cat is utterly white from tip to tip and ventures forth only by night. Each savors the particular delights of the diurnal or nocturnal lifestyle, but each is also very curious about the time of day he/she is missing. Finally, White Cat and Black Cat decide to explore the part of the day s/he has never seen before. Each feline meets the other for the first time and acts as a guide to day and night, respectively. The cats are captivated by the miracles they never saw or knew about-and with each other. They become so inseparable that, before long, they produce.six kittens whose color readers are invited to guess at the end. A final page turn reveals a marvelous, unexpected (though unlikely) surprise! This adorable Italian import beguiles with its simplicity-the language is spare, so children not yet reading will comprehend read-alouds readily, and beginner readers should be able to easily navigate the basic text and short but meaningful sentences. The appealing illustrations work beautifully with the story: the art is rendered completely in stark black and white, with each cat and other features set against a page and accompanying type of the opposite color. VERDICT A highly recommended charmer for storytimes in all libraries, exploring concepts of opposites and friendship. This will be a big hit, especially when adult readers draw out that startling reveal at the end.-Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Two cats find friendship in their seemingly opposite (yet, oh so similar!) lives. Black Cat is black from his ears to his paws, and he is only awake by day. White Cat is white from her nose to her tail, and she lives by night. But curiosity gets the better of both, and they set out into the unknown and meet. Together they travel, as reciprocal tour guides, each delighting in the wonders of the other's world. The artist's illustrations, done in black and white, skillfully play with negative space and composition. Cleverly, she reverses images from spread to spread, flops the values, or changes just one pattern to encourage readers to look for similarities and differences; taken altogether, it is a wonderful exercise in juxtaposition. Basic shapes and minimal linework will appeal to the very young, while sophisticated patterning will appeal to all. The charming, cheery text also holds a surprise ending, for which giggles are sure to ensue! Borando creates a genuine affinity between the two felines, her art and text, and readers and page. Simply captivating. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.