KITTY

Catsitting should be no problem for Granny, right?

When a White-presenting family leaves for a one-night camping trip, Granny assures them she won’t have any trouble watching Satsuki the cat. After all, there is an instruction sheet for caring for little Satsuki taped to the refrigerator: “Very sweet! Loves to be brushed. Picky eater. Please don’t let the cat out.” When the cat spies a raccoon through the window, it jumps off of the refrigerator in fright, knocking Granny’s glasses off of her face and under the fridge. Bereft of her spectacles, Granny can barely see a thing and mistakes the raccoon for an escaped Satsuki. Granny coaxes “Kitty” inside with some cat food; meanwhile, the real Satsuki slips outside. Kitty loves the bowl of kibble Granny offers as well as the cupcakes she makes but not so much the bath that follows. Granny tires herself out keeping Kitty under control, and when she goes to bed, the raccoon goes wild, wreaking havoc throughout the house. In the morning, glassesless Granny can’t see the mess, and when the family returns, she rushes off before they can apprehend the disaster, relieved to get away from the exhausting “cat.” Jordan-Glum’s tale of mistaken pet identity will elicit giggles. The text is spare, narrated using crisp sentences, while the acrylic, watercolor, and pencil spot art and full-bleed illustrations do the heavy lifting and inspire all the laughs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Irresistible fun with one rowdy raccoon.