FICTION

Cat Whys

by Lila PRAP
tr. from Slovenian. illus. by Lila Prap. 32p. NorthSouth. Jul. 2014. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9780735841253.
COPY ISBN
PreS—Here are more silly answers to riddles from the author/illustrator of Doggy Whys (North-South, 2011) and I Like Black and White (ME Media, 2006). Clusters of mice give their "expert" opinions of why cats sharpen their claws, fear water, and bury their poo. Although the author intermittently interjects sidebar facts, readers are quaintly misinformed by folkloric mice mythology, including the explanation that hissing is actually misguided flatulence. Prap's folk art animals in earth tones are beguiling in their idiosyncrasies. Older readers will appreciate the humor, as will cat devotees who will concur that "Cats hunt mice to check if they are real or whether they are seeing things."—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
"Why do cats' teeth chatter?" Fourteen questions are posed and answered, first by mice (facetiously) and then in an "expert's comment." The page layout never varies, making it easy to find the right answer each time. The mice's silly contributions may confuse matters, especially as they're given top billing in each double-page spread. The stylized illustrations contribute to the lighthearted tone.
Reviewed by Gay Lynn Van Vleck , Jul 01, 2014

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