I Am the Cat, Don't Forget That: Feline Expressions

Shaff and Blount, who previously charmed pet lovers with I Am Puppy, Hear Me Yap and If Only You Knew How Much I Smell You, return with this ode to the cat, which takes the form of cute black-and-white photos accompanied by silly but often clever little poems (""Yes, I knocked over/ the candelabrum./ And now I'm on the sofa./ What is the problem?""). From Dr. Suessian quatrains (""I'm a cat,/ Can't you see?/ You can't get/ Over on me"") to darker, more Edward Gorey-esque rhymes (""'Eat that,' you say, 'that's good!'/ Tell a cat about a cat's food. / You know what's good?/ Rat's blood""), humorist and author Blount, a frequent guest on the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me, acknowledges the feline's peculiar mix of pride, sloth, curiosity and independence. Shaff's photos may owe more to the charm of their subjects than to skilled composition, but all are perfectly serviceable and some are downright delicious.