Cat+cat Face CL

With grudging acceptance of their differences, a cat and a pansy (known as ""Cat-face"" in Chinese) forge a friendship. At first meeting, Cat presumes the petals poking out of a box are the tips of another cat's ears; from inside the box, the pansy imagines Cat's voice to be that of a fellow flower. On discovering the truth, the two ignore each other's idiosyncrasies and decide to be friends. Inevitably, Cat-face is subjected to the horrific music of Cat's night buddies; and the nocturnal feline finds he cannot keep the pansy's early-morning hours. But suddenly they realize that it is okay to be sometimes together and sometimes apart. Inconsistencies in the plot fog this worthy message-Wild King's music is ""the most awful noise,"" yet the pansy falls asleep; Cat's affection for the pansy contradicts his previous reputation as a plant-destroyer. The chief incongruity might appear to be the premise, but thanks to Liu's (The Mouse Bride) dreamlike illustrations, Cat and Cat-face resemble each other just enough to make their affinity seem possible. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)