KITTY-CAM

A handful of mostly monosyllabic words conveys a cat’s active day.

Webcam on its head, the cat gets up to a variety of activities. Each spread switches from the cat’s antics on the verso to what the camera captures on the recto. Vulnerable in an open fishbowl, a goldfish peers up and expresses surprise, submission, and fear. The cat grabs for the fish only to discover with dismay that water is “WET!” and to try vigorously to dispel the drops (“Shake. Shake. Shake”) while the fish laughs smugly. Luckily, the cat has now spotted a box of cat treats atop a nearby table. The cat shakes the table, causing the box to topple and releasing a rain of fish-shaped kitty treats: “Yum! Yum! Yum! Yum! YUM.” Washing, stretching, and yawning naturally follow. Then the cat spots a ball of “yarn? YARN!” Then it’s time for a brief mouse chase. When the rodent hides in a hole in the wall, the cat proceeds to “Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.” Waiting isn’t easy, and soon the cat falls asleep: “Kitty-Cam…FADE OUT. Good night, Kitty.” Though some scenes might initially puzzle viewers, Yaccarino’s signature stylized illustrations manage the changes of perspective quite deftly. Spotting the gradually diminishing battery images adds more excitement.

Effectively combines a novel storytelling strategy and limited vocabulary.