Review by Booklist Review
A brief author's note reveals that this simple picture book, composed of words that describe the behavior of cats, is based on the real-life blind and old cat that came with the house McClure purchased in 2011: Bud. There are two cats here, an older black cat with white markings and a younger white kitten with black markings; the older teaches the younger everything it needs to know to be a successful cat, one skill per spread. On the STRETCH spread, we see the little cat in front of the larger one, both in yogalike poses, while LISTEN reveals tips of ears peeking above a window and a singing bird outside. Although this could have perhaps been pared back a bit ( CLEAN and LICK, for instance, basically illustrate the same activity), the book is graphically beautiful. Rendered entirely in cut black paper, the black-and-white illustrations pop boldly on white backgrounds, while digitally added pale blue accents the same color as the typeface highlight a butterfly that appears throughout. Spare, with the feel of an art book, this gracefully illustrates the parent-child relationship.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
With their bold black outlines, sinuous curves, and ability to conjure mass out of empty space, McClure's cut-paper spreads can be mesmerizing. In this simplest of formats-the pages show nothing more than cats being cats, with a single word describing each of their actions-McClure (Apple) is at her best. For "Stretch," the edge of the page becomes a wall, as the black-on-white-spotted adult and the white-on-black-spotted kitten place their paws on it and push. A periwinkle-blue butterfly, the same color as the words, provides the subtlest accent, alighting on a stair as the two cats descend, the kitten diverted while the adult strides ahead, halfway off the page. Fields of knotted wood grain, a woven doormat, and bowers of leaves provide texture as the cats play hide-and-seek ("Wait"; "Find"), then return home to eat side by side ("Feast") and curl up together ("Dream"), the butterfly perched on the kitten's paw. Hours of close attention have gone into this, and hours of close inspection are likely to follow. Ages 2-5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-From an early morning stretch and gentle grooming to an end-of-the-day feast and dreamy repose, a kitten mimics its parent's behavior as it explores, stalks, and tumbles its way through the day. Boldly rendered black-and-white images offer the perfect background for the large, pale blue font of the text, which consists solely of verbs, and the butterfly that flits its way through the pages with the kitten in pursuit. © Copyright 2019. 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
McClure follows a mother cat and kitten through their day with a series of one-word-per-page actions ("Listen / Explore / Hunt..."). The expressive, striking cut-paper illustrations are entirely black and white except for well-placed touches of sky blue, which reinforce the natural setting. Very new readers will enjoy navigating the simple story arc on their own. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A watchful kitten shadows a big cat to learn the fundamentals of feline life. A simple series of double-page spreads introduce kitty-cat basics (CLEAN, POUNCE, LISTEN, LICK, HUNT, CHASE, among others) in capitalized, periwinkle lettering and black-and-white cut-paper illustrations. Two feline foils (one an adult cat that is black with white markings and the other a white kitten with black spots) dominate pages in mesmerizing, bold reliefs. Curvy cat bodies frame borders and cross gutters, creating pleasing puzzles of negative and positive space. While flat and certainly binary, these complex illustrations miraculously evoke the frisky, fluid physicality of feline movement. STRETCH spans both pages from furthest-most left to right, from the tips of tails, across elongated backs, all the way to fully extended paws and claws. Ah, the luxurious pull of flesh and fur! On STALK and CHASE, kitten's body tumbles in duplication, rolling along in fitful pursuit of a blue butterfly (which adds a flicker of color on most pages). Looping lines lasso readers' eyes and leave them swiveling their own hips playfully. Cat keenness comes through too. Kitten's eye twinkles, especially alongside the black, expressionless mask of her mentor. Purrrrfect for beginning readers and little artists with an eye for fine cut-paper compositions and craftsmanship. (Picture book. 1-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
