THERE ARE NO CATS IN THIS BOOK

Schwarz’s follow-up to the well-received, interactive There Are Cats in this Book (2008) falls short of the mark. Tiny, Moonpie and André are back, but from the get-go, they’re packed and itching to escape the narrative’s confines to “see the world.” They try pushing, jumping and wishing themselves out, with corresponding interactive pages that fold out, pop up and invite readers—addressed throughout—to help wish the feline trio “out into the world.” Three ensuing double-page spreads—nearly a quarter of the volume—depict, against dingy white space, respectively: pale spangles of dematerializing-cat-shaped stars, a small, attached postcard to the reader and a word-bubble: “Meow.” That alluring world appears only as a brick-walled alley on the postcard. The slight story arc and all those nearly-blank spreads undercut the momentum—a shame, given the illustrator's vibrant way with brush and ink. The final two spreads deliver a passel of cats into the mix—“They all wanted to meet you!”—but it’s too little, too late for readers, who are much easier to spring from books than cats. (Picture book. 3-5)