Cat the Cat, Who Is That? (Cat the Cat)

In Cat the Cat's friendly world, names are an uncomplicated affair, most of the time. This early reader pictures Cat, an irrepressible kitty in a purple dress, skipping and cartwheeling to greet pals like Mouse the Mouse and Fish the Fish. All is well until Cat meets a chartreuse creature with eyestalks, a blue tongue, four arms, and three legs. She skids to a halt and her tail electrifies. The individual, unrecognizable but clearly amiable, stops stacking blocks to say, Blarggie! Blarggie! This time Cat's initial response to the repeated question, Cat the Cat, who is "that"? is I have "no" idea, but Cat finally decides this might be a new friend! and responds with a bouncy Blarggie! of her own. Willems provides just enough humor and surprise to entertain youngest audiences and subtly suggests some future reading: Duck the Duck cradles a Pigeon doll, and in a second book being released simultaneously"Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly!"another character rides a Pigeon playground toy. Cat could become another favorite; her personality sparkles in expansive gestures and gleeful interactions. Up to age 5. "(Feb.)" Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-KUsing a repetitive vocabulary with few new words added in, Willems offers successful reading experiences for the earliest readers, complete with fun-loving, friendly characters and surprise story lines. In the first book, Cat the Cat meets her friends as she answers the oft-repeated question, "Cat the Cat, who is that?" with "It's Mouse the Mouse!" Questions and answers are in large, bold type while white word balloons with a clear, dark font are used effectively to further the simple conversation. Cat the Cat continues on as she meets Duck the Duck, Fish the Fish, and a strange-looking alien who, after scaring her at first, becomes her new friend. In "Let's Say Hi", Cat the Cat asks Bee the Bee, Bird the Bird, and Bat the Bat if they can fly. They all answer "watch me" as they fly away. The story takes a surprise turn as the friends ask Rhino the Rhino if he can fly, and he takes off in his airplane, taking them with him. The animals are drawn with expressions ranging from wide-eyed innocence to surprise as they learn about the world around them. Drawn on a mostly uncluttered sky-blue background with thick black lines, the characters are illustrated in a brighter and wider range of colors than in Willems's previous works. Fans of "Elephant and Piggie" (Hyperion) may think themselves to be a bit advanced for this newest cast of characters, but they will want to join in on these latest adventures where even Pigeon makes subtle appearances."Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Charming and perfect for beginning readers."—Brightly