Snot Stew

If the title of the book doesn't appeal to adults, it's a surefire attention-grabber for children. Told from a cat's-eye view of the world, the story begins just before Toby and Kikki are deserted by their barnyard mother and adopted by a human family. At first the two kittens are terrified, but both are won over with warm beef stew and soon settle comfortably into life with their family. But the kittens' misunderstanding of human ways and somewhat limited grasp of their language eventually lands them in near-catastrophe. The pace of Wallace's story is as irreverent and light as his book's title, and the kittens' fur-flying adventures are appealing and humorous. McCue's black-and-white drawings are funny and fresh, perfect for the hijinks of the story. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)