Splat Says Thank You! (Splat the Cat)

Splat the cat has had his share of misadventures, and his mouse friend Seymour has always been there for him. When Seymour is sick in bed with purple spots, Splat gets to return the favor, taking Seymour down memory lane via a "Friendship Book" Splat has put together. As Splat reads aloud to Seymour, their past experiences together play out episodically ("When I had my bath and got my toe stuck, you knew what to do. 'Thank you!' And when I went to bed early, you sneaked me a flashlight so I could read my book, ' said Splat. 'Thank you!' "). Scotton's illustrations of furry, wide-eyed Splat and his friends remain gratifying in their 3D surrealism, even if this backward-looking offering is tamer than Splat's previous books. Ages 4-8. Agent: Bob Stein, Pryor Cashman LLP. (Oct.)

K-Gr 2—Best friends Splat the cat and Seymour the mouse are back in this sweet and funny celebration of friendship. To cheer up his sick pal, Splat pulls out the "Friendship Book" he's created. He revisits the many occasions, big and small, when Seymour helped him out, from encouraging him to audition for the school play to freeing his toe when it got stuck in the bathtub faucet. Splat ends his recitation with a big "Thank you," each time expecting Seymour to perk up, but receiving a sneeze or hiccup instead. Finally, Splat says, "You are my smallest friend and my biggest....And I just want to say...THANK YOU!" and, at last, the book ends with an image of a smiling Seymour. This book plays on the interaction of text and illustration, with the pictures often providing the humorous punch line to the earnest-sounding writing. Splat reminisces about flying a kite and says, "we played for hours, you made it so much fun" as the illustration shows a terrified Seymour clutching onto the kite's tail for dear life. This odd pair demonstrates that friends can be different and still support each other. Kids will love the cat's naughty shenanigans and the many details that give the art depth, such as Seymour's bedside table/thread spool. A solid choice for those searching for non-cloying stories of friendship.—Marian McLeod, Darien Library, CT