It’s All About Me-ow

In what amounts to a tongue-in-cheek feline version of Susan E. Goodman and David Slonim’s recent It’s a Dog’s Life, Buddy, a veteran pet cat, offers advice to the three naive kittens that join his household. Puns and cat jokes rule the day: Buddy urges the newcomers to “take control” of their humans, though he acknowledges, “You’re probably saying, ‘Me? How? Me? How?’ ” Buddy also touts the benefits of “catitude” (which includes knowing “how to purr your way out of trouble... when you’re caught in the kitchen with a fried chicken in your paws”) and explains cat physiology, cat history, “communi-CAT-ing” via body language, and playing with humans (“Ask to go out then to come in... then out... in... out...”). In mixed-media illustrations, Talbott (River of Dreams) portrays Buddy as a laid-back know-it-all tabby, and he plays up the instructional idea in spreads that include cat-drawn posters, charts, and asides from cats and humans alike. As Talbott’s adorable felines alternately wreak havoc and charm humans, cat-loving readers—adults in particular—will chuckle and nod in recognition. All ages. (Sept.)