Funny Valentine
(Splat the Cat)

"Don't forget to bring in something for your special valentine," Mrs. Wimpydimple reminds Splat's class in this lift-the-flap holiday tale. Instead of panicking, the typically anxious cat draws up a quick solution. Scotton builds suspense through the book's many flaps: in one scene, the door to Splat's clubhouse swings open to reveal his friends Kitten and Spike arriving with a gargantuan box of supplies. The project remains a mystery as Kitten sews a "mouse-sized costume" behind a sewing basket-shaped flap, and Splat, concealed by a pile of crumpled paper, works on rhymes. With all the buildup, the reveal of Splat's red valentine surprise is anticlimactic; since its recipient is Mrs. Wimpydimple, however, the book is a natural gift choice for a child's teacher. Ages 4-8. (Dec.)