Mac and Cheese and the Perfect Plan

K-Gr 1—Beginning readers will relate to the felines' conflict of interests and temperaments as Mac attempts to convince Cheese to leave their alley and take a trip to the beach. Cranky Cheese prefers to lounge in his garbage can but Mac is persistent, wearing down his friend's resistance by repeatedly singing a song. Mac packs milk and crackers, and Cheese takes "a hat,/some flip-flops, and a little mat./A ring. A rake./A fan. A cake./A pail. A cup./Mac packs it up." All of this packing makes them miss the bus to the beach but the story wraps up with a satisfying conclusion. Manning's colorful watercolor illustrations dramatically express the push and pull between these characters and take the grit out of the urban background. Two to four lines of text appear on each page with plenty of picture clues to help beginners decode the words and enjoy the story. A good choice for fans of Alyssa Satin Capucilli's "Biscuit" (HarperCollins) and Tedd Arnold's "Fly Guy" (Scholastic) books.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI