Obscura the Cat Sees Beyond

A shy green-eyed cat called Obscura learns to face fears of her new home in this uneven haunted house picture book romp. When her owners, both portrayed as angular figures with pale skin, head to their office on the top floor, the “ancient new house” that Obscura now calls home suddenly reveals the presence of “ghouls, freaks, and creeps of all kinds,” as well as household fittings (carpet, gargoyles, hearth, portraits) come to life. Bigham employs a saturated jewel-toned palette and over-exaggerated facial features to create an ominous environment for the feline. Though Franchi’s play-by-play plot often seems to exist in service of rigorously metered and rhymed text, bewildered Obscura’s triumph brings about a purr-fectly reassuring resolution. Ages 5–10. (Sept.)