WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FAVORITE?

The feline dancer returns for a new adventure, in which cousins vie for the affection of their grandmother.

Ballet Cat is busily and happily preparing a show for Grandma featuring her dramatic moves. Cousin Goat then shows up carrying a box labeled “The Great Goatini” and puts a damper on Ballet Cat’s proceedings by readying a magic show. “Magic is Grandma’s favorite.” Goat demonstrates two (very obvious) tricks for Ballet Cat, who, in turn, shows off her repertoire. Grandma (a white, bespectacled dog with black ears) arrives and is tucked into a chair and served “those dry cookies old people like.” Tricks and dance steps follow, but the audience is sound asleep. Awakened, she attests that both shows were the best, but her “FAVORITE favorite” is a choice that many young readers will find both tastefully agreeable and tasty. Shea once again places the short, snappy, and repetitive dialogue in color-coded and shaped speech bubbles (blue oblongs for Goat, and pink ovals for Ballet Cat). His characters are digitized shapes outlined in swirls of black and set on backgrounds of bright, solid colors. Ballet Cat’s ballet steps are limited—but not her enthusiasm. Goat is a lively and ultimately likable character.

While not the funniest addition to the series or to the genre, this latest outing should please fans of Ballet Cat.