A Goodnight Kind of Feeling

Decked out in spiffy play clothes, his teddy bear in tow, a marmalade kitten goes on an outing with his parents in this sunny tale. The pictures limn an absolutely perfect day that includes sampling all the rides in the park, enjoying an al fresco lunch, stopping at the toy store (and not leaving empty-handed), taking a bubble bath and listening to a favorite story before slipping off to sleep. Each major event generates a special kind of joy, cozily defined in the rhyming text. When the hero feeds the ducks, he likes ""that scary quack-quack-quack,/ I want my fingers back/ kind of feeling""; or, less imaginatively, at bedtime he gets ""that warm and snuggly,/ deep and duggly, sleep tight,/ don't let the bed bugs bite.../ goodnight kind of feeling."" Scruton's tidy but playful illustrations, set in an urban desert landscape that resembles Southern California, exude unfettered happiness and gentle humor (there's a wonderful depiction of a bumpy stroller ride). He employs a wide range of framing and composition techniques--from cartoon-like panels to double-page, full-bleed spreads--that keep the visual momentum of the story going strong. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)