Cat, What Is That? - Hardcover

K-Gr 4-In this feline-lovers' delight, lyrical poetry pairs with stunning paintings to describe just what makes a cat a cat. Johnston weaves together a series of evocative images, using imagination-stirring verses to describe the mystical wonders, uncanny abilities, changing moods, and simultaneously exasperating and endearing characteristics of these mysterious animals. Again and again, she hits the nail on the head with musings such as: "It is the Pounce./It is the Roar./In a snowstorm/it is the Snore"; "It is the Curl-/up-in-your-lap./At any time/it is the Nap"; and "It is the Slink./It is the Sneak/on velvet toes/stalking the Squeak." Minor's luminous full- and double-page illustrations help readers to visualize these complicated creatures, as various cats stalk, spring, stretch, and snooze across the pages. Backgrounds for these well-composed paintings alternate between vivid outdoor scenes, cozy interiors, and crisp white space. In one picture, a rotund orange tabby reclines in a wooden bucket, an all-knowing look on its face, while the curve of its winking eye reflects the shape of a sliver of moon hanging in the night sky. In another, a gray-and-white cat naps with one graceful paw placed delicately over a toy mouse, managing to look serene yet ready to spring into action. This is a verbal and visual feast for anyone who has ever been captivated by the self-confident gaze of an amber- or green-colored eye.

Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal

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