Square Cat ABC

K-Gr 2—Eula, a square-shaped cat who does her best to fit into her round world, showcases the letters of the alphabet while gardening. Rather than presenting each letter in a list of corresponding animals or objects, the amazing feline moves from A to Z with the assistance of a hungry and gregarious blue mouse as they discuss the flavorful merits of the spinach growing in Eula's garden. Unlike Eula, Mouse loves "green, leafy spinach." So does her porcupine friend. At the insistence of Mouse, the cat reluctantly tries a leaf and exclaims, "Whoa! Extremely yucky! Undeterred, her tiny friend concludes their conversation by asking, "Zucchini perhaps?" Schoonmaker illustrates the square cat with spare but colorful watercolors that feature each highlighted letter in oversize, decorative print surrounded by plenty of white space. Eula wears a floppy, green and yellow hat and a disgruntled expression, while the mouse scampers insouciantly across each page. Young readers will giggle over this unconventional alphabet book and perhaps be inspired to eat their vegetables. Pair this amusing picture book with Kelly Bingham's Z Is for Moose (Greenwillow 2012).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA