They All Saw a Cat

A solo debut for Wenzel showcasing both technical chops and a philosophical bent.

Rich in discussion possibilities and curriculum applications, this is a treasure for classrooms, story hours, and just plain enjoyment.

Rendered in "almost everything imaginable," Wenzel's colorful, dazzling illustrations are as varied from page to page as the animals represented. The spare but steady text uses all-caps and italics for emphasis and plenty of rhythm and repetition.

"The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws," writes Wenzel (Beastly Babies) at the opening of this perspective-broadening picture book. What those features add up to depends on the eyes of the beholder, not to mention scale relationships, instincts, and history. To a child, the cat looks like a pet: affectionate, big eyed, and adorable. But a flea sees a vast forest of dense hair to conquer. A mouse cowers before the dragonlike creature of horror that bounds out of a blood-red background with blazing yellow eyes. And a bee sees a collection of multicolored dots--a pointillist pussycat. The simple text ("the skunk saw a cat, and the worm saw a cat, and the bat saw a cat. Yes, they all saw the cat") creates a powerful, rhythmic juxtaposition between word and image, and inventively varied renderings showcase a versatile, original talent at work, in media ranging from collage to pencil and watercolor. This is Wenzel's first book as both illustrator and writer, and it's marvelous--no matter how you look at it. Ages 3-5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.)

PreS-Gr 3--Readers see the world through a different set of eyes thanks to Wenzel's whimsical and eye-catching artwork as a child, a fox, a worm, and others look on as a tabby saunters through a variety of environments. Each distinctive and imaginative spread features a shape-shifting perspective--such as a bee's pointillistic view of the feline--set to a stripped-down, rhythmic text.