Stretchy McHandsome

The youngest of nine feral felines, a likable cat named Stretchy—a “butterscotch boy” with one green eye and one blue—goes on a life-altering adventure in this rhyming tale. Hoping to take a holiday from his “cantankerous” siblings, Stretchy ventures out alone, leaving scratch marks all over town, visiting with his tiger cousins at the zoo, and more. While lying in a bookstore window, he is spotted by his human soulmate—a curly-haired girl named Beanie whose eyes match Stretchy’s—and the pair are so “smitten” they fall into a dual stretch. When the other McHandsomes, one kilt-clad, come after him, Stretchy’s exploits bring friendship into all of their lives. In Schachner’s carefully busy and frequently silly mixed-media scenes, Stretchy seems as cuddly—and as glad to find Beanie—as he is flexible. Ages 3–5. [em](Oct.) [/em]