Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Lap Cat seeks "the perfect lap" in Cull's quirky, medieval-meets-modern telling. An opening panel illuminated with manuscript-style florals notes that it's day 222 of Lap Cat's "journey--nay, quest," while the facing page shows the feline venturing along a forested trail in a Robin Hood--esque hat, chanting "Lap." The feline's trek brings about encounters with numerous creatures--a squirrel with a bucket, a cat diner server, a dolphin fond of sand castles, and more. During each meeting, the cat's single-mindedness proves accidentally harmful (about a joke store's broken door, "Lap Cat is so focused on finding the perfect lap that they do not even realize they've cracked the glass"). Arriving at an establishment called "Lap Mart" ("A glorious sight! A superstore of laps!"), the protagonist rejoices until the shop owner alerts the feline to their previous destructiveness. The duo sets off to make amends, and eventually Lap Cat finds a way to a happy ending. Flattened and blocky, candy-colored drawings have a contemporary style that keeps the offbeat tale's twists and turns moving. Ages 5--8. (Oct.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Wearing a Robin Hood-like hat and chanting "lap lap lap..." as they jog through a park, Lap Cat's obsessive quest for "the perfect lap" (for sitting) is on day 222. A friendly squirrel suggests its bucket, but: "'Tis cold and hard. Not warm and soft like the lap I seek...My quest continues!" Off Lap Cat goes, oblivious to the broken bucket and upset squirrel left behind. Kitty's Diner doesn't serve laps, so the feline proprietors instead offer pancakes "on the house." The literal-minded quester obliges by flinging pancakes everywhere before dashing off to the beach and crushing a dolphin's sandcastle (and spirit). Lap Cat's self-important and self-absorbed behavior provides much of the humor and is ably assisted by the deadpan third-person narrator. Cull's goofy cartoon characters and setting are rendered in a lighthearted sherbet palette; the lively pages are busy with oddball details but not overcrowded -- there's lots to discover on repeat readings. After even more destruction, one store owner finally refuses Lap Cat service. "I can't have ya destroyin' my shop." That's a wake-up call for our hero, who immediately repairs the damage done to property and relationships. Don't worry, a lap shows up in the end...but like the rest of this silly story, it's not what anyone expects. Kitty FlynnJanuary/February 2026 p.57 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A feline's quest for a lap reaches epic--and disastrous--proportions. Even on day 222 of searching, our hero still hasn't found "the warm, soft comforting sensation many cats crave…the perfect lap." Nevertheless, Lap Cat (who usesthey/them pronouns) persists, chanting the wordlap over and over. When the journey brings them to a local park, they try out a bucket belonging to a squirrel--"NOT a lap"--and, oops, they break it. Next, they visit a diner, where they make a sticky mess out of pancakes: "NOT a lap." A sand castle at the beach? Nope. A whoopee cushion? No. Each new "lap" brings only chaos, and soon, Lap Cat's reputation precedes them. When, at last, Lap Cat finds a "lap store," the shop's owner starts to kick them out. A new quest is born: If they make amends to the animals they've slighted, will they finally get a lap to call their own? Cull's latest combines childlike cartoon humor with a medieval style and tone, resulting in comedic gold. Lap Cat's bardlike dialogue, presented in speech bubbles and set in a Gothic typeface, contrasts hilariously with their mundane world. Careful readers will pick up on many details in the colorful illustrations, though they can be easy to miss, given the breezy pace. In a brilliant metafictional moment, an advance copy of the book appears in the joke store Lap Cat enters. A rousing, rib-tickling tale.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
