PURRFECTLY PURRFECT

Anyone fond of cats and puns will be amewsed by this visit to The Acatemy, pet project of Purrfessor F. Catus of the University of Catifornia, where a purrfect graduation record stands in danger of being spoiled by Dudley, a small kitten who doggedly refuses to stay home. Along with looks at the purriculum (“Cats In History”—e.g., Catherine the Great, Catilla the Hun) and the art mewseum, readers get essays from each of the 11 (12, counting Dudley) students on their summer vacations and career plans, plus a multiple choice final in Eticat: “You are thirsty. Where is the last place you should go for water? A) a bowl of flowers, B) the toilet, C) whatever you find soaking in the sink, D) your water bowl.” With plenty of vigorous, scrawly sketches, Lewin (Chubbo’s Pool, 1996, etc.) depicts the student body purrsuing their educations, then gathering for graduation—even Dudley, who gets a purrfect “0” in every class, and is last seen clutching his diploma in slightly cross-eyed triumph. A cheery bit of fluff from a pair of children’s-book veterans. (Fiction. 7-9)