Copy cat

PreS-K-Playful cats explore a common social dynamic of childhood. Bella wants to do everything that Anna does-hula hooping, playing ballerina, and even being a pirate. When Anna decides to play princess, of course Bella wants to follow suit-but there is only one crown. Anna is not nice and does not want to share with Bella and tells her to stop copying. With sad eyes and droopy ears, Bella walks off to be by herself. She decides to jump rope, at first struggling but, after much practice, jumping so fast she doesn't notice that Chloe is watching. The two felines practice jumping rope together. Meanwhile, Anna realizes it is no fun to play by herself and goes to find Bella. In the end, all three spirited cats wind up playing ballerina-pirate-princess together. The simple text and bright, expressive digital artwork keep the tone light and the message positive. VERDICT This is a fine addition for young listeners learning to navigate playground politics and forge friendships. Best shared one-on-one with an adult.-Erin Olsen, The Brearley School, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Catty characters learn to play nice.Two anthropomorphic cats, Bella and Anna, play together, with the former looking up to the latter and copying her every move. It's all fun and games until they play princesses and there's only one crown. Anna selfishly seizes it, yelling at Bella: "Stop copying me! I'm the princess. And it's my crown!" Poor Bella is bereft when Anna flounces off, but she quickly recovers when she finds a jump-rope. Then a new cat, Chloe, comes along, and Bella says "Just copy me!" to invite her to learn how to skip rope, too. Bella's generosity and friendliness later extend to the crowned Anna, who soon tires of playing princess by herself and joins them in jumping rope. "Just copy us!" Bella and Chloe say, and the three cats jump rope together. When Chloe has the bright idea to tie their separate ropes together, the feline friends' play becomes truly collaborative, setting the stage for engagement in many different activities on ensuing spreads. A concluding introduction of a new friend, daredevil Dotty on a skateboard, suggests that there's much more fun in store for all. Throughout, Pye's digital illustrations add to the playful tone of the book, with bold colors and shapes defining the big-eyed cats and giving a retro feel to the flat visual aesthetic. A fine feline friendship tale for storytime. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.