It Takes All Kinds: "Happy Cats" by Catharina Amari and Anouka Han

Cats come in all kinds of colors, shapes, sizes, and personalities. There are happy cats, and then there are scrappy cats, shy cats, rarely-ever-seen cats.

THERE ARE SCARCELY-EVER-THERE CATS.

Cats in boxes, cats in trees... cats that are capricious, cats that like to please.

BLACK CATS, BROWN CATS, ALWAYS UPSIDE-DOWN CATS....

Fat cats, flat under a mat cats. . .

BARN CATS, WHEREVER-THERE-IS-YARN CATS!

Cats come in all kinds, just like their owners, but the best kind of cats are in Catharina Amari and Anouka Hans' Happy Cats (Abrams Appleseed, 2021).

Whatever you think of cats, you can't complain that they are all alike. In fact, in this quirky rhyming lexagon of cats, they are all unique cats, as created by artist Emi Lennox's in her charming illustrated catalog of curious kitties. Easy reading and comic comparisons of the world of cats, contained in a long series of clever combinations of adjectives and nouns, describe appealing felines shown in all their variety.

"Even the most resolute dog lover will be charmed by the many furry felines in this title for the very young. . . , " says School Library Journal.

Cat-itude: I Am Cat by Jackie Morris

I AM CAT.
AT NIGHT I PROWL, BUT IN THE DAY I SLEEP, CURLED IN WARM PLACES, AMMONITE TIGHT.

AND WHEN I SLEEP I DREAM.

This glowing ginger tabby sleeps spiraled tightly, tail to head on its oriental collage cushion, lost in a dream of his feline cousins, each different, in diverse places, but each clearly partaking of the essence, the archetype of cat.

I DREAM THAT I ROAM DEEP IN THE JUNGLE, BRIGHT FLAME CAT STRIPED LIKE THE SHADOWS, SUN-SCORCHED.

Like this tiger, some of the cats portrayed are familiar. The lion, "sun tangled in my mane," lounges through the heat of the day with its pride, with only the energetic cubs awake and playing.  The cheetah, the "sharp-eyed running cat, fast as the wind," brings down an antelope after a brief chase. But some of the felines are few, unfamiliar to most readers, like the Scottish wildcat:

...THE SECRET CAT, WILD IN THE MOUNTAINS, ANCIENT, ALMOST A MEMORY. 

Another, the amur leopard, seems to sing its own death song, "...almost the last of my kind."

In its new American edition, I Am Cat (Francis Lincoln Childrens Books, 2013), Jackie Morris' lyric free verse narration is set off by stunningly, elegantly beautiful large-format watercolor illustrations of ten cats in their natural environment, including the dreaming marmalade cat cozy on his favorite cushion. Not intended purely as a nature study book, this one does offer a close look at each species of the cat clan, each specific, with its own characteristics, but each clearly feline, with the lithe shape and gaze that is pure CAT. This lovely volume invites lingering over each of its pages, each featured member of the feline family faithfully but artistically portrayed in all its comely cathood. "... Rich in language and eye appeal," says School Library Journal. "A lovely hybrid," adds Kirkus Reviews.

Santa--Claws and Paws: Santa Paws by Rachel Hale

Puppies chase kittens;
Kittens chase mice.
Have you been naughty
Or have you been nice?

Adorable puppies in Santa Claus hats, tuxedo kittens on the keys topped with toboggans, a disgruntled white Persian in full St. Nick regalia. Trite--YES! Cute--But of course!

In her little board book, Santa Paws (Paw Pals) (Dissero, 2008), photographer Rachel Hale knows how to tantalize the tickle boxes of the very young, with her charming young dogs and cats, decked out in wintry red and green scarves, shown against holiday red and green squares, engaged in jolly holiday fun or peering out a frosty window, hoping for a glimpse of the real thing--St. Nick and his reindeer.

Now let's raise a toast
Of holiday cheer.
Here's to a merry Christmas,
And a furry new year.

Inexpensive and sturdy, Santa Paws (Paw Pals) makes a great waiting-for-Santa gift or stocking stuffer for the very young, especially those with kittens or puppies of their own to share the season with.

Unflappable Cats: Cat by Matthew Van Fleet

Aristocat, alley cat, Cheshire cat, witch!
Swishy cat tails--twitch, twitch, twitch!

Jump cat, roll cat, scratch the tree!
Bored cat. curious cat--CATASTROPHE!

Furry cat, bald cat, wrinkly cat, sleek!
Cats love toys that squeak, squeak, squeak!

Matthew Van Fleet's just published Cat(Simon & Schuster, 2009) is a catalog of cats in action--cats jumping, playing, angling in fishbowls, and showing off their amazing vitality and variety, with surprises hidden under the substantial flaps on each page. A striped cat is caught in the act, breaking a vase in a cat catastrophe; a sturdy pull tab causes cats to swipe at a goldfish and swish their tails in mock frustration. An adorable lop-eared little puss in boots pops up out of yellow Wellingtons. And one flip of a flap shows an indignant cat in the utmost of feline indignity--wet and scraggly in the hated bathtub.

A design which makes full use of the "toy and movable book" genre, this one, like its best-selling predecessor from Van Fleet, Dog, features Brian Stanton's irresistible photos of many breeds of cats doing all those things cats do so well. The book appears virtually indestructible--a rare thing in a flap-and-tab book for toddlers--constructed of thick board with substantial tabs and flap hinges that a tot would have to take a chain saw to to disassemble! There are textures to feel and even an appealing squeaker to push among the many tactile activities within the cover. But the main joys of the book are the under-the-flap surprises which will give kids a laugh while producing a little cause-and-effect learning along the way. The final double-page spread opens up into a four-page gatefold with a portrait gallery of all the cats (with their breeds) featured in the book from which toddlers will enjoy tracing each cat back to his own page. This is a perfect lap book for babies and a great interactive book for toddlers to enjoy on their own as well.

For a quick video of what this little book can do, from cover to cover, there's a preview here.