Cat Knit

August 29, 2016
Grant (Little Bird’s Bad Word) pairs wryly understated storytelling with subtly funny cartooning in a story of friendship, sharing, and change, featuring a roly-poly cat with big, yellow-green eyes. Cat is already friends with Girl, but after Girl brings home a ball of red yarn, a new relationship is born. “The two of them were inseparable,” writes Grant as he shows Cat and Yarn playing tic-tac-toe, zipping through the snow on a toboggan, and building a snowman (with Yarn as the head). But Girl “also wanted to play with Yarn,” and when his playmate returns as a Cat-size sweater, Cat realizes that his friend “had changed.” Outdoors in the snow, Cat wriggles out of his sweater and abandons it on a branch, eventually realizing that “warming up to something new takes time.” Grant revels in Cat’s tendency toward crotchetiness (some of his grimaces could give Grumpy Cat a run for her money), and the book is equally rewarding whether readers take what Cat learns to heart or just giggle over the ups and downs of this slightly knotty friendship. Ages 4–7. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency.

September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Wide-eyed and curious, Cat is thrilled when Girl brings home a colorful and round new friend, Yarn. What fun they have together, playing in the snow, rolling around on the floor, and snuggling with a good book. One day, however, Girl wants to play with Yarn, so he isn't available to play with Cat for a while. When he returns, a big change has occurred, and Cat isn't so excited about it. In the end, Cat realizes that although things may change, friends will always be friends. With one or two sentences per page and a large font, this title will be a favorite for children beginning to read on their own, yet the vocabulary is not watered down or simplistic. The illustrations, drawn with charcoal and crayon and digitally colored, are large with clean lines. Children who cannot yet read on their own could pick up the book and easily understand it just by looking at the pictures. VERDICT A short, sweet selection packed with warm, fuzzy feelings, perfect for storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
Preschool-K Cat and Girl have a close relationship, but he's quickly taken with the new friend she brings home, Yarn. The red-and-white-striped ball has every quality you'd want in a buddy: roly-poly, fun inside a paper bag, and nice to have nearby for cuddling. Then Girl begins transforming Yarn, and Cat doesn't like it. He likes it even less when Yarn becomes an itchy sweater that he has to wear. So eager is Cat to get away from Yarn that he runs out into the cold. That, of course, is when he learns that Yarn is a pretty good friend to have after all. The simplicity of the story is matched by graphically crisp illustration that captures cats' well-known fascination with bright balls of yarn, as well as the comfort that everyday objects bring, a message little listeners will instinctively understand. Cat (who must be a relative of Grumpy Cat) will bring smiles along with the message that, though friends might change, they can still remain close to you if you give them a chance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)