Cone Cat

Jeremy the cat has a cone around his neck courtesy of the vet (the cause is not specified), which has turned him into a shadow of his former nimble, sneaky self. “Now he was knocking into doorjambs and backing his way down the stairs with all the grace of a fat squirrel,” writes author Howden (5-Minute Amazing Animal Stories), striking a tone of haughty weariness. “He didn’t smell so good either.” But you can’t keep an imperious feline down for long: Jeremy discovers that the cone can actually function as a useful funnel, holding bits of food he manages to scrounge (including ice cream from a birthday party), and, in one of the funniest illustrations, an entire cushion’s worth of stuffing. Pared-down vignettes by Mok (Grandmother’s Visit) capture both the inner workings of Jeremy’s mischievous mind and his comical prowling. While he makes no bones about his feelings for his owners (“Of course, a gathering of little humans can be a nightmare for a cat,” the narrator says as the birthday party gets underway), readers will find it hard to resist the prickly charms of this expressive sourpuss. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)