My House

As an orange cat introduces himself and his house, we wonder--is it really his house? After all, he uses an open window, not the door, to get inside. As usual, Barton keeps preschoolers firmly in mind, providing just enough tension and plot twists to keep things interesting; his signature simple shapes and bold colors are a perfect match for the straightforward text.

A purple car drives away from a house, and the story begins -- with what young viewers might suppose is mischief. As an orange tiger cat introduces himself ("I am Jim") and his house ("This is the roof of my house. These are the windows. This is the door"), we wonder -- is it really his house? After all, he uses an open window, not the door, to get inside; in the kitchen, he naughtily walks on the counters and knocks over a mug. Jim does a bit of Goldilocks-ing as well, trying out the rocking chair in the living room and napping on the large bed upstairs in the bedroom, reinforcing viewers' doubts. But gradually it becomes clear that Jim does indeed live there (the litter box in the bathroom is perhaps our first definite clue), and when Jane comes home she welcomes him with dinner and not a single scolding about the broken mug ("I like Jane"). As usual, Barton crafts his story with preschoolers firmly in mind, providing just enough tension ("I hear a noise downstairs") and plot twists to keep things interesting; his signature simple shapes and bold colors are a perfect match for the brief, straightforward text. Listeners will be glad Jim likes his home and neighborhood so much, though they may wonder what will happen when he next heads back inside: Jane has placed a flowerpot on that first-floor-entry windowsill. martha v. parravano