BIG CAT

The patient and long-suffering orange tabby Big Cat is an ideal companion for beginning readers.

The opening, wordless pages will win new readers over with the charming expressions of this whiskered cartoon feline. The story is told mostly in pictures with just a change in the ending of the single sentence “Big Cat can....” On the verso page at the story’s beginning, Big Cat sleeps contentedly while a pigtailed girl peers over from behind the couch. Subsequent spreads show her increasingly rough handling of the family pet. Maybe Big Cat can hug, fly, and dance, but it is clear from the illustrations that the cat is definitely not having fun, even though the text asserts that “Big Cat can be fun.” The kitty is downright relieved when she finally says, “Big Cat can sit,” with a pat on the head. When a red-haired boy, presumably her brother, shows up, Big Cat runs, only to be caught and clothed in hat, wig, dress, and heels, to the delight of both children. In real life, most cats would claw, scratch, or hide, but Big Cat ruefully allows these indignities. The simple subject-predicate sentence pattern will soon be easily recognized by the youngest beginning readers, offering near-instant reading gratification.

Big Cat's expressive antics offer success for children just starting their reading journeys.