Click!

February 15, 2016
A dog is determined to catch a cat, but mysterious clicks keep interrupting (and changing) the chase. Smack dab on the endpapers, the angular, roughly drawn dog is already in hot pursuit. Both the newspaper and television (antiquated technology--a hint at what is to come) are reporting that a cat is on the loose. With head thrown back and foreleg/arm triumphant in the air, Fluffy the (very unfluffy) dog barges through the title page and declares that today will be the day. Fluffy will finally catch a cat. But with a mysterious "click," a mariachi hat suddenly obscures Fluffy's vision. Another few clicks bring a tiny bunny named Pat, a wooden baseball bat, and a long-necked polecat. All of which enrage Fluffy. "I said cat!! C-A-T." Where are these clicks coming from, and why won't they stop? Suspense (along with Fluffy's exasperation) builds with each page turn. Digital natives may instantly guess the premise--which will, admittedly, take the wind out of the story's sails--but others will wonder until the final reveal (which pleasingly harkens back to the classic "Duck Amuck" short from Looney Tunes as well). Even the stark white background is a clue. A metafictive look at technology, with rhyming wordplay to boot. (Picture book. 3-7)

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March 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-An interactive book for the young techie crowd. Dormer's rhyming book about cats vs. dogs takes place on a computer screen. The black-and-white dog wants to catch a cat, but all he gets are things that rhyme with cat (bat, gnat) or have the letters c-a-t in the name (copycat, polecat). The dog's exaggerated temper tantrums will have children laughing beyond the end of the story because he appears again on the endpapers. The more colorful cat is not seen until near the end, but he is the one causing all the mysterious clicks that appear as speech bubbles on every second or third page. Children who play or have watched computer games will get the joke. VERDICT When reading this book, have a computer mouse nearby to add some authenticity and interaction to this storytime treasure.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Preschool-G The premise starts simply: a dog pursues a cat on the loose. He encounters a wombat, a hat, and a bunny named Pat, but no cat. This straightforward-sounding story quickly becomes bizarre when the dog begins sporting bright-orange accoutrementsa Bolero hat with dangling pom-poms, a dress, and large lips. Quickly, we learn that this is all a computer game manipulated by a playful cat. The word Click! frequently appears, interrupting the action and signaling a change in direction. While the metastory provides a level of complexity, the original simplicity is maintained in the illustrations, which are predominately thick black-and-white line drawings rendered as if they were sketched by a child. Much is reminiscent of Mo Willems' pigeon books, down to a cranky main character who addresses the reader directly but ultimately does not get his way. Readers will marvel at the cleverness, and though some may find the conceit confusing, many others will enjoy the tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)