Being a Cat: A Tail of Curiosity

PreS-Gr 1–A companion to the very funny Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, the dynamite team of Gianferrari and Oswald now invite young feline fans to “seek and search,” “trill when you’re happy,” “hiss when you’re mad,” “and always preen in between.” Oswald’s irresistible illustrations depict a young brown-skinned girl and her tabby cat in various relatable scenes in the house. The cat watches butterflies and birds outside the window, dozes in a laundry basket filled with clothes, teeters on a bookshelf, and plays with her human companion. Preschoolers will delight in playful scenes such as the girl and her cat both in eye patches and pirate gear (“surveying everything around you”) and sitting in boxes decorated as firetrucks (“a box is simply the best”) with all the humor sprinkled in. Back matter includes information about cats and instructions for expressing emotions using the body and leaping like a cat. This one begs to be read again and again.