THE CAT AND THE RAT AND THE HAT

A happy cat has a yellow mat where it likes to play, rest, and dream about fish.

The cat is content until it sees a rat wearing an enormous pink hat—and wants it. The cat chases the rat and, ultimately, takes the hat. But the rat is not willing to give up so easily. What ensues is a true game of cat and mouse, with the rat and the cat chasing each other and vying for ownership of the precious, gigantic pink hat. Things get even more complicated when the dueling pair is noticed by a bat—who happens to be wearing a fancy cravat. Then the bat decides that it, too, wants the hat, and the cat and the rat lose interest in the hat and instead decide that they want the bat’s fancy cravat. The chase is on as each animal tries to get a hold of the item of clothing it desires, all the while trying to outsmart its peers. This charming rhyming book’s ridiculously humorous premise will appeal to children and adults alike. The colorful pictures are delightfully absurd and enhanced by clever textual design. (Most notably, when the bat speaks, its words appear upside down.) Lynas turns the primer-level language into a deliciously clever, rhythmic text; paired with the vibrant illustrations it makes for an ideal read-aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightfully silly rhyming picture book about cats, rats, bats, and high fashion.