CAT THE CAT, WHO IS THAT?

Mo is back, and Cat the Cat has arrived. The spare, animation-inspired aesthetic, bright colors and speech-bubble text that characterize many of Willem’s works are present in this new picture-book series, which could also serve well as beginning reader fare. In this inaugural title, the sweet, eponymous character encounters friends at every page turn, whom she readily identifies as Mouse the Mouse, Duck the Duck, Fish the Fish and so on. But when she discovers a seven-limbed monster playing with building blocks, she can only respond “EEP!” to the text’s oft-repeated prompt, “Cat the Cat, who is that?” Like Leonardo the Terrible Monster (2005) before him, this monster happily turns out to be a good friend, and Cat the Cat joins him in joyfully shouting, “Blarggie! Blarggie!” and crashing through the block tower. Move over Pigeon, Piggie and Gerald, there’s a new cat in town, and she’s most welcome. (Picture book/early reader. 2-7)