Spot, the Cat

Spot is a light-colored cat with a dark oval on his side, and he plays a lighthearted game of hide-and-seek in this wordless frolic. Cole (A Nest for Celeste) nestles the action in a picturesque, British-looking town, drawn in fine black line. The story begins with the boy reading on a sofa, with Spot perched above. After Spot dashes to the outside ledge, the perspective shifts to a panoramic exterior view of the apartment window, situated in a line of brick rowhouses and overlooking parked vehicles and passersby. By the time the boy checks on Spot, the cat has wandered away. Readers scan the pages for Spot, who patters along a quaint stone bridge, gallivants down a park’s cobblestone path, and picks his way across apple crates at the farmers’ market. The spreads yield glimpses of both runaway cat and pursuing boy, while unframed panels show the boy posting “lost cat” flyers. Cole loads his postcard-perfect scenes with dense detail, and his stippling and crosshatching increase the difficulty of spotting Spot. An idle-weekend ambience prevails: Spot never seems in danger and finds his own way home. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)