A Brave Cat

Ensconced in a chic boxlike house, white puss Olivia is presented as leading a life of travel, exploration, and occasional danger. But Coppo’s paintings cleverly play with perspective to tell an alternate story, exposing the domestic narrative that’s actually occurring (Olivia’s “fearless” spelunking occurs amid a pile of blankets). “The world outside is for cats without any imagination,” the busy feline believes, until a tumble out the window introduces Olivia to a new universe. Clean, unlined tempera and pastel illustrations picture the kitty perched in bicycle luggage and peeking inside a brick fence’s hole. When a Dalmatian’s “Woof!” threatens, Olivia heads up the nearest tree and must decide whether to make a further leap into the unknown. Soothing, shapely graphics contribute to an aesthetically fashionable tale of a “brave cat” getting outside its comfort zone. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)