Tiny Kitty, Big City

A little stray calico cat with big yellow eyes seems very much at home in New York City. Sure, there are noisy sirens and unfriendly dogs, but the feisty, curious feline doesn’t seem the least bit underfoot as it meanders through the busy street grid. Miller (Horse Meets Dog) chronicles his protagonist’s travels with compositions that range from bird’s-eye views to dramatic low angles, while the abbreviated text may remind readers of their own pets’ epithets: “Noisy city./ Hiding kitty”; “Wildlife city./ Playful kitty.” The cat chases pigeons, vocalizes dramatically at a trio of dogs atop Patience—the New York Public Library’s southerly marble lion—receives a bowlful of sardines from a friendly fishmonger, and jams with musicians under the Washington Square Arch. But when snow arrives—conveyed via a lovely, melancholy scene rendered in thick black outlines and acrylic gouache, with big circular flakes falling down into the Manhattan canyons—readers will cross their fingers that this stalwart New Yorker finds a home warmer than the streets, a hope that’s rewarded in this affectionate cityscape’s final pages. Ages 4–8. [em](Mar.) [/em]