A breaking cat news adventure Behind the scenes with Burt Behind the scenes with Burt /

Gr 4--6--The crew of Breaking Cat News, a group of house cats who report on their mischievous doings, newscaster-style, returns. The first portion of the book is a continuous narrative that involves Burt, Puck, Lupin, and Elvis watching the soap opera Our IX Lives, complete with a wedding, car chase, clairvoyance, and several other tropes of the daytime drama genre. In the second portion, consisting of individual comic strips, the cats report on activities such as sniffing a smelly spot in the floor or racing through the house at two in the morning. Dunn's watercolors and ink lines are an ideal match for her cute, dry humor. The cats' owners, who are white, are loving hosts to the eventful chaos. Back matter includes several paper cat dolls and outfits. VERDICT Pet owners will recognize their own four-legged friends in these humorous news reports. Though lovers of the series will be rewarded, newcomers will easily take to this one, too.