THE BEST CAT

Bootsy is a remarkable cat; everyone in the family concurs. When Grandmother sees Bootsy balancing a ball of yarn on her paws, she says Bootsy is a real clown. Jeff readily agrees and imagines her clowning at the circus. Ginny points out Bootsy would be scared of the lights and the applause. Father thinks Bootsy would make a great football player when she runs off with his slipper. Jeff agrees again, but Ginny begs to differ. Apparently Ginny doesn’t think Bootsy is a ballerina, or a fisherman, either…but there is one opinion of Bootsy that Ginny and Jeff share—that she’s the BEST cat in the world. Ukrainian-born author/illustrator Gorbachev’s watercolors, infused with a warm yellow cast, give this tale of feline adoration a slightly retro feel. The realistic gainsaying relationship between siblings Ginny and Jeff is a great counterpoint to the absurd imaginings of Bootsy accepting flowers in a tutu and pulling in the nets in a yellow rain slicker. A good but not essential addition to kitty, family or imagination storytimes. (Picture book. 2-5)