THE CAT BARKED?

This candy-colored tribute to cats starts with a particular cat bemoaning, in verse, its lot compared to a dog’s life. Dogs go for those long walks, yip and yap, chase crooks, and get all the plum roles in Hollywood. Then the cat’s mistress intervenes: “Silly old cat,/If your wish did come true,/You’d have to do things/You wouldn’t want to do.” Chewing bones, being led around on a leash, fetching, and performing silly tricks are among the disadvantages mentioned; next, the advantages are enumerated, such as seeing in the dark, catching mice, climbing trees, pouncing, and “In sunny spots and soft places/Cats like to take naps,/And they’re just the right size/For cuddling in laps.” Readers will be firmly converted to the superiority of the cat’s life, and pleasingly distracted by the high-wattage collage artwork. (Picture book. 3-7)