One Cool Cat!

K-Gr 1—A hip white cat ignores the superstitious warnings of a black cat as he strolls through the cool, stylized illustrations of this picture book. The overconfident feline, sporting a pompadour and red bandanna around his upper arm, smashes mirrors, walks under a ladder, and steps on cracks, emerging unscathed under the increasingly ironic refrain, "he was one cool cat." He gets his comeuppance when he knocks over a mirror and a ladder and accidentally ends up on top of a train heading out of town-"he was one fool cat." The jazzy text and repeated phrases like "terrible bad luck that is" put more of a focus on repetition of actions than a buildup to a climax, so nothing beyond the language is given much of a chance to develop. The strength of the book is its sharp, cartoon illustrations that strike a balance between detail and simplicity. The pops of color are so creatively and judiciously used that it takes a while to notice that the pages are predominantly black and white. This visually charming story is a supplementary purchase.—Marian McLeod, Darien Library, CT