MAGIC THINKS BIG

Magic is the ultimate cat. As he sits in the doorway looking outside, he considers going out to chase loons, or maybe watching somebody else chase them—like the dog. But he’s hungry so maybe he could catch a salmon or watch the bears catch one and share it and when ready, he could ride Moose home across the lake again—or maybe not. Or maybe he should just stay put. Cooper has captured feline behavior and attitude to a T in both story and art. His illustrations of rotund, pear-shaped Magic are a departure from his previous small, wispy images such as in Ice Cream (2002), as he uses full-blown perspectives to project Magic’s point-of-view. The result is totally charming and could only be achieved by someone who thoroughly knows cats; voilà, a photograph of the real Magic (at 18 pounds) is on the back cover. No maybes about it, this very large, very round, very imaginative cat will work his magic on readers, grown or not, who will purr with delight over his story. (Picture book. 4-6)