The cool cat club

Gr 1--4--The first two books in Colton's delightful "Jasper & Scruff" series are thoughtful and engaging. The story follows a duo who have forged an unlikely friendship that surpasses their differences and brings out the best of their very different personalities. In The Cool Cat Club, Jasper is on a mission to join the most elite cat club in town, The Sophistocats. The club acknowledges his eagerness and sends him an invitation to host a grand feast for them. In the midst of his frantic planning and decorating, he encounters Scruff, whose carefree spirit and playful nature distracts and derails the party. By the end of the first book, Jasper discovers where he truly belongs. In the second installment, The Treasure Hunt, Jasper and Scruff embark on an adventure to find a missing golden bone belonging to the infamous pirate Black Whiskers. Colton's writing is funny and lighthearted, but the vocabulary in the stories is challenging and the books are not broken up by chapter, which could turn away a reluctant reader. The illustrations, rendered in crayon and colored pencil, are wonderful and immersive. VERDICT This heartwarming series will be enjoyed by a more advanced young audience. Recommended purchase where other playful odd couple books circulate.--Davia Schmidt, Queens Public Library, NY

What's dapper cat Jasper to do with a scruffy pup?Jasper lives on the top floor of a building surrounded by his books (arranged by cover color), fine art, and "bow ties in every pattern imaginable." He knows what he likes and what he wants: Currently, he wants to have the right friends. He's sure the Sophisticats are the right friends. Only the "finest felines" are admitted to the elite cat club, and Jasper longs to be one of them. To that end, he invites them to dinner and sets about making everything perfect. However, on a trip to the market just before the soiree, he's followed home by a drooly puppy named Scruff. Jasper manages to get rid of him just before the Sophisticats arrive. Lady Catterly swans in and demands to be waited on; Reginald and Oswald arrive and enter their drink orders, too. Just as Jasper is about to serve, Scruff returns and trips him up. The Sophisticats throw attitude. Jasper tries to please. Nothing is good enough for them. When Scruff, behind closed doors, nearly demolishes the special, Jasper reflects on the behavior of all his guestsand picks the one he'd most like to spend time with. Colton's series opener will entertain cat (and dog) lovers who are ready to make the leap to chapters. The four-color cartoon illustrations on every page of this British import cheekily move the tale along. Book 2, The Treasure Hunt, publishes simultaneously.Odd-couple fun for a new generation. (Fantasy. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.