Scamp

"Scamp's house has two cats: one black and one pink." But one of the felines is changing into a different sort of creature. As the book opens, a black cat and a human baby clad in pink striped pajamas sit side by side. "Hector and Scamp. Scamp and Hector." The two are clearly best friends and do all the same things together: groom themselves, roam on all fours, sharpen their claws (Scamp paws gently at the couch, while Hector scratches away at it), and attack the vacuum. One day, with a look of utter surprise while holding on to her crib rail, Scamp realizes that she can stand up ("Scamp was pretty sure cats didn't stand on two feet"). Later, it happens again as she props herself up with the table. Then at dinner she tries using a spoon, and at bathtime, Scamp finds herself enjoying the water. "Her whiskers drooped. She was a bad cat." When Hector gets left outside in the rain, however, Scamp's human abilities come in handy. Watercolor, colored pencil, and gouache artwork and clever endpapers put the spotlight on Scamp and Hector's friendship, highlighting how similar the two are in shape and size. The spare text plays against the illustrations with gentle humor, demonstrating that while change can be unnerving, true friendship will find a way to endure. Scamp is light-skinned with tiny dark pigtails. Perfectly adorable, especially for families with babies and felines of their own.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.