Review by Booklist Review
Curiosity doesn't kill the cat in this tale, but everything the inquisitive feline investigates is laid to waste. The adventures begin when a black-and-white cat jumps through the kitchen window and dives into the trash, tipping it over. In the closet, Cat brings down a shelf with a loud crack, and when he gets into paint in the artist's studio, things really get wild. When he finally leaps into the artist's arms, however, all is forgiven. Some 26 different verbs describe the cat's movements, infusing the story with plenty of action, and the bright watercolors seem quickly but carefully rendered, supplying ample room for the cat to move. An active, playful font (Zipty Do) is used, and the words are placed at various angles and in a variety of sizes to help convey action. Children will enjoy this manic romp by an endearing scamp, and also appreciate that the cat gets a hug despite the calamity he has caused.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Curiosity doesn't kill the cat, but it sure annoys a homeowner in this vivacious picture book about a wayward feline. "It was summer, and someone left the window open. Cat jumped in!" begins the adventure. Before long, a bold black-and-white cat is wreaking havoc in the kitchen, the bedroom and eventually the art studio. Each time Cat wraps up his messy antics, "someone" approaches, "Tip-tap, pitter-pat," and calls, "Cat? Out!" But not even "someone" can resist when Cat eventually turns on his furry charm. Weaver's (Opera Cat) succinct text rings with onomatopoeia and provides a bit of suspense as readers try to infer the identity of "someone" and to guess what Cat will do next. Both author and illustrator demonstrate a fond familiarity for felines in spot-on depictions of cat-like behavior and situations. McCully's (Mirette on the High Wire) watercolors, often set off by playfully curled or tumbling text on the page, are flashes of color and motion, capturing Cat's trail of innocent yet flamboyant destruction. She keeps the tale's mystery alive by showing "someone" only from below the knee, and by offering other clues in her backgrounds. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-An adventure in which the preternatural curiosity of cats is celebrated with sly wit in both words and pictures. Again and again, Cat finds that his owner has left openings of all kinds accessible to him: a kitchen window, a trash can, a coat closet, a bedroom door, an art studio. Each destination offers the inquisitive feline maximum possibility for messy mischief. The woman of the house follows behind Cat, chasing his trail of garbage, coat scarves, dressing-table detritus, and smeared paint. The text is patterned and repetitive, containing many action and onomatopoeic words to delight teachers. It also offers opportunities for crowd-pleasing participatory reading aloud at storytime. McCully's loose-lined, energetic watercolor illustrations are well suited to the wayward protagonist and his fractious escapades. Cat's body is a blur of movement, and his face a study in startled surprise. At the chase's pleasant conclusion, the woman catches Cat, who, this time, jumps into her arms. After all, his paint-spattered footprints are in the shape of a heart. Pair this tale with one about another inquisitive feline, Kevin Henkes's Kitten's First Full Moon (HarperCollins, 2004).-Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Weaver and McCully offer an amusing twist on the saying "curiosity killed the cat," with few words, but lots of animated artwork that details the funny feline frenzy. When "someone" leaves the kitchen window open, a black-and-white cat jumps inside and dives into the garbage bin after a fishy smell. But "someone" orders him OUT! Instead, the cat dashes into a closet and leaps up to swat a hat with feathers, causing the shelf to crash. "Cat? OUT!" Upstairs he races, sniffing fancy bottles on the dresser, pokes back at another cat (seeing himself in the mirror), and everything falls down. "Cat? OUT!" But the studio door is open and when the cat's paint-daubed paws accidentally create a painting on the floor, it's the last straw. "Someone" opens her arms and the cat jumps in. Each incident is backlit with white space as McCully's signature watercolors vigorously create the cat chaos. Human and feline foibles are spot-on with a purring finish: That "someone" isn't seen until the last page. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
