“Is That My Cat?” by Jonathan Allen (review)
In this charmingly silly story, a boy tries to figure out why his cat, normally playful, agile and lithe, has morphed into a plump feline who struggles to get through the cat door, wolfs down her food, can’t run fast enough to catch a mouse, and gets stuck when she heaves herself up a tree.
“That cannot be my cat,” the boy tells himself, as readers look at page after page of an increasingly uncomfortable, sluggish kitty.
And finally, the boy discovers his cat hiding in the closet. And she’s not alone!
It’s a charming book with sly humor that paves the way for a young reader to move on to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. And it’s a wonderful book for expectant parents who want to introduce the subject of a soon-to-arrive sibling.
“Is That My Cat?” by Jonathan Allen (Boxer Books; $16.95). Ages 3 and up.