Stretchy and Beanie

It seemed like destiny when the nine McHandsome cats met the nine McBright children, naturally pairing off, but none are so perfectly matched as Stretchy (a ginger cat) and Beanie (a redheaded girl wearing cat ears and a tail). "Both were wild and woolly, / the wildest ever seen. / Of all the fearsome tigers, / they were the king and queen." Schachner, of Skippyjon Jones fame, matches her rhyming stanzas with energetic illustrations filled with activity, bendy felines, and Beanie's unconventional flair. A shift occurs when Beanie reads Old Cat, New Tricks and tries to replace their wild antics with lessons and structure. Stretchy is not a fan of either and begins acting out (climbing drapes, leaving puddles on the carpet) to show his displeasure, eventually making a successful bid for freedom. As Beanie sits beneath the tree harboring Stretchy, her siblings--a group of kids of many races and abilities--offer advice on winning back Stretchy. Both girl and cat come to understand that compromise is part of a loving relationship.

Will the friendship of Stretchy McHandsome and Beanie McBright survive Beanie's bossiness? In this sequel to Stretchy McHandsome (2019), every McBright sibling has adopted one of the McHandsome cats. Beanie's relationship with Stretchy, though, is special. Each of these two gingers has one green eye and one blue--but there's more! They're ferocious together, they stretch and scratch and curl up together. Beanie decides to make Stretchy into a perfect pet. Stretchy, however, is uninterested in learning math or dance, he hates the harness, and he's infuriated by the stroller. The lightheartedness of the art, full of clever details for astute readers to discover, puts a comforting spin on a more serious tale. Stretchy, frightened by Beanie's aggressive affection and enthusiasm, expresses anxiety like any real-life cat. "He acted out, he climbed the drapes, / and made the carpet wet." Art and verse alternate between playful silliness and showing the sincere worry of a little girl learning to be gentle with her pet. The nine McBrights are illustrated as a racially diverse family with a range of skin tones and features, and one child uses a wheelchair. Beanie herself present White. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Delightful reminder that having a pet differs from parenting "a troop of teddy bears." (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.