THE SCARIEST KITTEN IN THE WORLD

A terrifying tome guaranteed to scare the stuffin’ outta ya (not really).

After a warning and a suggestion that readers find friendlier reading material about rainbows and such, the tale opens on a dismal, decrepit house (on a dark and stormy night, of course). Down a dim hallway sits a “ragged old door.” “And SOMETHING WAS THUMPING BEHIND THAT DOOR.” The door creaks open. A flash of lightning throws a menacing shadow across the floor—“Are you sure you want to turn the page?” The narrator notes that readers might rather read about ice cream sandwiches or crayons…for on the next page, the narrator is revealed to be…a tiny, white kitten with one wee fang (horrifying, huh?) The kitten’s not pleased that readers are laughing. The feline calls on a bevy of fiendish friends, among them adorable puppies (not menacing) and a plump yellow chick yelling “BOO!” (totally not bloodcurdling). The kitten’s sure the whole group can be made over to chill hearts. Nope. But wait…what’s that at the door? Messner goes full-on goofy with this tale of a feline determined to frighten. Haley’s not-so-dark cartoon illustrations of pudgy, sweet animals perfectly contradict the kitty’s narration. The cover featuring the cutie-patootie, jewel-eyed kitty spoils the central joke a bit, but hammed-up to the correct degree, this is sure to have ’em howling (with laughter, not fear) in the aisles. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Diverting feline fun for Halloween (or any time of year).