My Wild Cat

PreS-Gr 2—Simler pays tribute to the domestic cat in this ironic picture book. In a translation from the original French, each page describes an attribute of an active and fierce feline, along with factual information to back up these short phrases. This text is contrasted by images of a black cat fully enjoying its lazy domestic life. The digital drawings are impeccable, with miniscule cross-hatched lines creating dimension and light. The titular "wild" cat is a sleek black shorthair with bright yellow eyes. The etching and addition of bits of color on its fur create a sense of shape and movement. Simler gives her words as much breathing room as she gives her illustrations white space all around. Sentences are short and crisp, but contain complex words. She describes cats' claws as "wonderful little weapons hidden in a velvet holster." Cat lovers will find familiarity in many of the images: the cat lounging on a book, hiding behind a curtain, and finally, after pages of supine behavior, leaping out in a pounce onto the narrator who is revealed to be a young child. VERDICT A recommended purchase, sure to please those with feline friends.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

This quirky, personal send-up to cats and their unique traits features a "wild cat" who is anything but. Simler's colorful, textured drawings provide a wryly comic counterpoint to her exaggerated descriptions of a cat as it stalks its prey. "He is a fierce carnivore," states the text beside an image of a sleek black cat curled atop a flower pot. "Nothing escapes this vigilant observer" appears next to an image of the feline lying beneath a rug. Meanwhile, footnotes on most pages offer astonishing facts about kitties (some can reach speeds of 30 mph) and provide droll commentary on the unrealized potential of the book's star. Translated from the French, this unusual book has just the right combination of facts, humor, and charm--plus a lovable, if not quite "fierce," kitty. Ages 5-9. (Sept.)