Square Cat ABC

October 15, 2014
An abecedary follow-up to Schoonmaker's debut, Square Cat (2011). The titular square cat, Eula, wearing a floppy green-and-yellow hat, is busy with shovel and seeds when a portly blue-and-pink mouse happens along. Quizzed about her actions, Eula discloses that she's "Gardening" but that she doesn't care for Mouse's favorite, spinach. The sudden appearance of a porcupine (heralded by the words "Kerplunk" and "Kaboom" to fulfill the need for words beginning with K) startles the mouse but doesn't faze the cat. Mouse's fears are allayed by Eula's calm explanation that the prickly animal is her friend and the discovery that the porcupine also likes spinach. Convinced to sample it, Eula still finds the leafy green stuff "Yucky" ("eXtremely" so, in fact), leading Mouse to suggest that she try a "Zucchini, perhaps?" Created in watercolor, gouache, watercolor pencils and ink, the pictures are pleasingly childlike and stand out well against the abundant white space. Unfortunately, they appear static and flat when paired with the staccato text. Letters are emphasized with red print, but varying between upper- and lowercase letters may create confusion, as will a few unusual flourishes in the typeface selected. Not as "Ick"y as the spinach is in Eula's estimation but far from Mouse's opening observation of "Amazing!" (Picture book. 4-7)

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November 1, 2014

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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Preschool-G This alphabet book, which begins each sentence of text with a succeeding letter of the alphabet, features Eula, a square cat, who is nevertheless extremely hip. Mouse finds her starting a new project, growing vegetables. Hooray! Mouse wants spinach, but Ick! says Eula. I DON'T like spinach. As the mouse scrambles through J to O, a double-page spread introduces Porcupine. Turns out the prickly fellow is a friend of Square Cat, but, unbelievably, he likes spinach, too. Cat finally gives it a try but finds the leafy green extremely Yucky, so Mouse introduces zucchini. Paired with simple text and on abundant white space, watercolor, gouache, pencils, and ink illustrate the personalities of the active little blue-gray mouse and his orange feline friend, decked out in a green sunhat. Bright-red letters highlight the alphabet and make the story pop. Swirling vegetables and garden tools contrast with the stolid cat and the geometric design of her square (not curling) tail, an added bit of humor. Pair with Z Is for Moose (2012), another story where the animals take over the narration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)