Here Comes the Easter Cat

Starred review from February 17, 2014
Underwood and Rueda deliver an Easter book with real personality in this story of a cat who’s got his eye on the Easter Bunny’s job. Underwood (The Quiet Book) structures the story as a conversation between Cat and a witty unseen narrator; Cat never speaks, but instead communicates his responses his facial expressions, body language, and the occasional placard. Rueda (Is It Big Or Is It Little?) does a marvelous job of capturing Cat’s rapidly changing emotions, from his pride at picking the perfect vehicle to deliver Easter gifts (a massive red motorcycle, naturally) to his horror at realizing that an Easter Cat’s busy schedule would mean no time for naps. It’s a highly appealing blend of slightly edgy humor and underlying sweetness, and the ending suggests that Santa better watch his back. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Starred review from March 1, 2014
An attention-seeking, nap-loving cat hatches a plan to become the Easter Cat so that he will be loved like the Easter Bunny. The text is arranged as a series of questions from an unseen authority figure. The silent main character, referred to only as Cat, answers the questions through gestures or expressions or by holding up posterlike signs. He magically produces signs, props, costumes and motorcycles in the manner of a cartoon cat, all in the service of his plan to become the Easter Cat. Eventually he meets the real Easter Bunny, who is exhausted from delivering all those eggs without any naps at all. Cat comes up with a new plan: He'll drive a motorcycle (quite a spectacular Hog) with the Easter Bunny and a sidecar for deliveries and help deliver eggs while the bunny naps. Quirky colored-pencil illustrations complement the whimsical story, with a minimalist illustration on each spread facing a short question or comment from the narrator. The design uses an interesting, old-fashioned typeface and plenty of white space, creating a playful but sophisticated mood that plays on Cat's contrary personality. After his success at assisting the Easter Bunny, Cat comes up with another idea for the final spread: He tries on a Santa Claus costume that just might predict a sequel. Utterly endearing. (Picture book. 3-6)

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Starred review from January 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 2-What happens when a lazy cat decides he wants to take over Easter? Readers meet Cat, who conveys his thoughts with pictures and facial expressions. As the story progresses, Cat becomes more and more convinced he is the perfect candidate to replace the Easter Bunny. Will he get his way? The narrator, who kids will enjoy pretending to be, explains Cat's actions and asks all the right questions. "Clothes? No, you don't need special clothes. Well...the Easter Bunny does wear a very nice vest. Wow. That's very...sparkly." This is a book that will be enjoyed in storytimes as well as one-on-one. The wonderful ink-and-color pencil illustrations depict the characters' expressions perfectly, enabling children to decipher what is happening even without the narrative. The combination of witty text, plentiful white space, and brilliant images make this a truly winning book, especially for libraries looking to expand their Easter collections.-Brooke Rasche, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2014
Preschool-G Have you ever noticed that no holidays have cats as their mascots? The silent cat in Here Comes the Easter Cat has, and he's a bit put off by it. Communicating with a patient narrator through signage, facial expressions, and body language, the cat reveals that he plans to take over the Easter Bunny's job, roaring along on his motorcycle and delivering those Easter eggs himself (the narrator helpfully suggests that delivering hairballs might not be the way to go). Until, that is, he finds out that the exhausting egg-delivery schedule doesn't include time for his customary seven naps. Nevertheless, he manages to find a way to lend a helping hand and contribute to the holiday after all. Underwood (The Quiet Book, 2010) offers a hilarious give-and-take between feline and narrator that will work across a wide age range, as she imbues the cat with a prickly but eager personality, without having him utter a word. Rueda gets the joke, enhancing the fun with soft, warm tones; a great performance from the cat; and plenty of clever sight gags.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)