Naming the Cat

Pringle, best known for his children's books on nature and ecology, disappoints with this marginal tale, which the flap copy notes is based on his own family's experience. After they determine that none of the neighbors owns the cat that appears one day at their door, two siblings and their parents struggle to find an appropriate name for the friendly feline. All but the least observant readers will easily predict the outcome of this search as the family members take turns telling their new pet how lucky he is: lucky that the vase he knocks over doesn't break, lucky that he isn't a feral cat like one they spy in an alley, lucky that he lands safely on his feet when he falls out of a window. Potter's (My Mother the Cat) spare, static illustrations add little energy or color to the drawn-out and bland narrative. Ages 5-8. (Aug.)