The Cat's Pajamas

K-Gr 2—In the fictional world of this picture book, set a very long time ago, cats live in homes, attend school, have jobs, and behave like humans. Every cat dresses the same, except Louis Fellini, a cat who chooses to express himself via his clothes. Louis eschews underwear and opts instead for grass skirts; he sometimes even dons a French beret and cape instead of the standard jeans and T-shirt. While his parents are mortified by his avant-garde style, his classmates are enchanted and began to emulate him. These "copy cats" mimicked whatever he wore. Irritated by this flattery, Louis stays up all night trying to figure out how to be different and sleeps through his alarm. He accidentally goes to school in his pajamas, but the other cats are delighted by this fashion statement and soon everyone is wearing pajamas both day and night. Alas, living in pajamas and feeling so contented kills their industrious zeal, and they slowly evolve into the languid cats we know today. Wallace has fun with this story, and his illustrations, such as the arithmetic problem involving a cat's nine lives, are playful and add to the tale. The message of being true to oneself is somewhat lost in this charming history and might need some pointing out. This would be an excellent choice for a read-aloud about individuality paired with Robert Munsch's Stephanie's Ponytail (Annick, 1996) and Mo Willems's Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Disney-Hyperion, 2009). Recommended for general purchase.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI