Kwon's (Excited Alone!
) brilliant colors, simple forms and meticulously drawn floral patterns render even common objects pleasing and gemlike in this tale of friendship. The artowrk transforms piles of laundry, newspapers and sneakers into small treasures. "My cat copies me," says the girl narrator. "We help with the laundry, and chase after flies. Smelling the flowers, or watching bugs, she always copies me." Kwon infuses the figures of the girl and the cat with a kind of magic—they play in ordinary surroundings, but strike poses that recall those of traditional tales, leaping and flying. Readers learn that the girl is timid by observing details in the scenes: although children play happily outside their window, she and her cat only sit and watch, and she is afraid of the dark. But her cat's fearlessness inspires her. "From now on," the girl vows, as Kwon paints her with green eyes that imitate her pet's, "I will copy my cat!... I won't be scared of anything!" Girl and cat crouch, poised for action. They walk outside on the street, with their hair wild and their postures taut, prepared for whatever may await them. "We'll make new friends, together!" she vows, and on the final page, she and her cat lead the children on a wild chase. Youngsters will be fascinated by the way child and pet influence each other, and impressed with Kwon's quiet powers of observation. Ages 2-6. (Mar.)
