The Loyal Cat

Clean lines, crisp typeface and an attractive balance between white space and illustrations endow this picture book with unusual grace. Based on a folktale Namioka (April and the Dragon Lady) learned from a relative, the story tells of a humble priest who rescues a kitten. The cat in turn saves him and his temple from poverty by employing its magical powers to levitate the coffin at a royal funeral. Neither warriors, wrestlers or the pompous prayers of famous priests can bring it back to earth-it's up to the cat's master to accomplish that task, and with the gold thus won, priest and cat resume to their simple, peaceful life. It's a satisfying tale of good rewarded, lit up by Sogabe's (Cinnamon, Mint & Mothballs) arresting illustrations, produced by layering hand-cut black paper over watercolored rice paper. The resulting stained-glass window effect is altogether striking. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)