Trio: The Tale of a Three-legged Cat

PreS-Gr 2—Having only three legs doesn't stop kitten Trio from pouncing, sneaking, jumping ("well, sort of!"), and causing trouble among the chickens with whom he and his siblings share a garage. Trio loves to imitate the chickens as they roam the garden, dig holes, and eat bugs, but the chickens can do one thing Trio can't—lay eggs. This inability doesn't stop the persistent Trio from climbing into a chicken's nest, though, where one day an egg hatches to reveal a surprise. While the resulting one-legged chick (who promptly becomes inseparable from her fellow "different" feline friend) is fictional, a concluding note and accompanying photograph inform readers that Trio himself is based on a real cat adopted by the author's family. Large amounts of white space, minimal text in a large, serif font, and illustrations that reinforce the words make this title appropriate both for newly independent readers and as a read-aloud. The bold and appealing block print—style illustrations, mostly in reds and grays, add to the country theme, and the gentle humor ("The chickens didn't altogether approve of the kittens' activities") adds a nice folksy touch to the narrative.