I AM A WITCH'S CAT

A spunky girl who dresses up as a black cat is sure her mother is really a witch. Turn the pages to see if this is true.

Muncaster focuses her debut picture book on the daily activities that this mother and daughter enjoy together. The heroine scampers across the pages in her feline finery and justifies her belief. “I know my mom is a witch because she keeps lots of strange potion bottles in the bathroom that I am NOT allowed to touch.” Readers are treated to a page that is a photograph of sculptural miniatures, cut-paper objects and carefully placed fabric and beads. The three-dimensional quality of the scene translates convincingly to the flat page. Young readers will not see potions, however. The items are just shampoo, soap and perfume bottles. Each page turn features another visually rich diorama: the grocery-store aisle, the checkout counter, the garden and the kitchen. Although her mother seems to “grow magical herbs,” cackles with her friends and magically makes her feel better whenever she hurts herself, kids will wisely recognize that this imaginative cat is mistaken—right? On Friday nights, mom gets a babysitter to stay with her beloved cat-girl. And what does mom do with her night out? Hmm.

This heartwarming look at the close bond between mother and daughter stands out for its clever twist and stunningly detailed artwork.