THE LAND OF THE STRAYS

A barn cat’s new city life comes with a slew of new friends and a petnapping case to solve in this fantasy sequel.

Grey the Kitten runs away from the farm where she was born and grew up. Her recently discovered magical voice—her words literally build or break things—allows her to navigate a wooden fence with ease (“Grey saw the circle of words cut through the center of the fence before disappearing into a cloud of wooden dust”). The farm owner’s niece finds and adopts Grey, whose new home is in a pet-friendly apartment building in a busy city. The feline sniffs out affable animals, including one of her roommates, Lane the Labrador. The chocolate Lab has magical ears; he can hear others’ thoughts when they need help. The talented pair’s abilities may prove necessary when pets disappear during an animal party, including the host. It’s likely an abduction, and many of the attendees quickly point their paws at the strays who hang out in the weeds near the city’s popular park. Grey is torn; as she comes from a family of feral cats, she relates to and sympathizes with the homeless animals. She joins the rescue mission but may have to decide if she’s a stray or a pet. Fantasy elements in Nilsson’s second installment are sublimely understated. Grey and Lane rarely use their magical powers, while bright stars, like Polly the North Star, intermittently appear and subtly guide the animals. The author tells this good-natured story entirely from the animals’ perspectives even when humans occasionally show up. She lovingly describes four-legged characters—a colorful variety of dog and cat breeds and even a lizard. They pop up in entertaining situations, such as domesticated pets holding a board meeting in a 21st-floor maintenance closet. The simple but concise prose, coupled with Harrison’s sharply detailed black-and-white artwork, will appeal to readers of all ages—as will the uplifting message of acceptance.

Indelible animal characters headline this winsome tale of fellowship and magic.