HOW TO DRAW A HAPPY CAT

After an unseen narrator offers instructions for how to draw a cat, an action-packed quest for happiness ensues.

Clear, step-by-step instructions using shapes like a rectangle for a face and triangles for ears quickly assemble this story’s protagonist—a yellow cat with pink ears who stands against an empty backdrop with a frown. “Hmm, she doesn’t look very happy. What do you think she wants?” the narrator asks. The narrator addresses the problem by offering material solutions, such as clothes, a stuffed animal, and a skateboard. Though the feline initially looks excited, she then frowns once more. The narrator suggests friendship in the form of round-headed stick figures, which the narrator teaches readers to draw, but this is less a journey about the search for happiness and more a spirited romp; each page turn leads to a new problem, with the narrator providing instructions for drawing the next solution. A skate ramp launches the cat and her pals into the air, and a red plane saves them from a free fall. A pizza catapult takes things a bit too far yet will delight readers with just the right combination of humor and action. The word happy is bolded blue throughout, and other phrases are bolded in different colors to distinguish meaning. While this fun, exuberant book focuses on adventure, a light message about creating positive solutions could be gleaned. The narrator gives in to the cat’s tantrum at one point—a moment that caregivers may not appreciate but that is nevertheless realistic. Even though the cat is a flat character, it is easy to become invested in her happiness. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A satisfying mission to find happiness and fun; mission accomplished.