So, What's It Like to Be a Cat? (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Sea Surprise Timnah Card Landry, Leo Sea Surprise; written and illus. by Leo Landry. Holt, 200564p (Early Chapter Books) ISBN 0-8050-6645-4$15.95 R Gr. 2-4 Ever wonder what goes on in the feline mind? The inquisitive boy in this rhyming tale decides to go right to the source ("So, what's it like to be a cat?") and, fortunately for him, finds that the interviewee is happy to share the secrets of her catlike ways ("I'm very glad you asked me that"). Covering such key topics as eating habits, napping patterns, and tail-chasing, the gray kitty openly shares the secrets of her characteristic movements with the perfect dose of ego and pride (when asked if she thinks humans like her, she snootily responds, "With my catlike dignity/ it never has occurred to me/ to wonder what they think of me"). This playful text has heaps of conceptual appeal; anyone who has ever spent time around animals will readily identify with the desire to know what goes on in their heads, and the Q&A format of the story mischievously plays on that desire. The scansion and rhyme scheme occasionally tease and confound expectations, resulting in a more interesting texture without impairing readability. Lewin demonstrates an affectionate familiarity with kitty movement; the gray cat moves lithely across the spreads, paws thrown about and tail flying as she dances through the pages. The wet washes of pale pastels further the buoyant sensation of the tale. Offer this to any cat lover, or, alternatively, to any group of storytime listeners willing to try prancing and dancing about like the yellow-eyed star of this show. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois