Cat Eyes

Miki loves cats so much that she “only sees cats” through her red cat-eye glasses. At first, this kitty ubiquity tracks with reality: on a city block, it seems plausible that there would be cats in most every window (even if one does seem to be dancing on its hind legs to a saxophone’s tune). But readers will soon realize that Miki is in feline overdrive year-round. In the fall, she sees cats everywhere in her classroom: they’re by the desks and in the cubbies, they’re perusing the class library and cutting out paper cat heads. Surely such a powerful imagination could will a pet cat into existence? The spreads offer a luxurious sense of space and detail as befits a magnificent obsession: debut author Lee has a fine, deadpan ink line, which she fills in with delicate touches of color that pop on the bright white pages. The minimal, descriptive text is quickly read, the better for readers to scour the pages for cats blithely doing improbable things: running a hot dog stand at the neighborhood pool, busking in the subway, appearing in a mashed potato masterpiece. Ages 5–7. [em](Oct.) [/em]