Pussycats Everywhere!

McGraw's (Love You Forever) cutesy caper opens as Karen tapes ""Lost Cat"" posters to neighborhood phone poles after her pet, Mister Whiskers, fails to come home one night. In the slapstick scenario that follows, Karen repeatedly answers her doorbell to find people bearing homeless cats. Though her feline brood grows to 37, none resembles Mister Whiskers (the girl forgot to include a description of her cat on the poster). Rather precious pastel renderings show the kitties snuggling up to Karen and her incredibly accommodating parents. McGraw does inject some humor with a depiction of how some of these curious critters ""helped Karen with her homework"" and ""helped Dad with the laundry."" An outlandish spread shows Karen's dream of a flying cat and three airborne mice, while two monotonous spreads present individual portraits of the menagerie, each labeled with a name bequeathed by Karen. In a rather simplistic turn of plot, Karen and her parents are able to return each cat to its owner by matching them to other ""Lost Cat"" notices. Then, on cue, Mister Whiskers appears that evening at their door, bringing this tale to a predictable close. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)