Lilly's Secret

Imai (Little Lumpty) centers this slight tale on Lilly, a cat who is self-conscious about her ``weird'' paws and tries to hide them from her suitor, Joey. After a few awkward encounters, Lilly confesses her discomfort to Joey, who in turn assures her that he has always known about her paws and that he likes them. As the two sit gazing at the moon on the final spread, Joey pipes up: ``Besides, you never said anything about my crooked tail!'' The dialogue is banal and the delivery flat. The watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, meanwhile, include some appealing details (cat-shaped doorknockers; posters of fish), but the wide-eyed cats (and their pebble-sized teardrops) smack of preciousness. Ages 3-up. (Nov.)