THE CAT AND THE ROOSTER

A traditional tale of the Ukraine, about a cat and a rooster, who are friends, and a fox, who is an enemy: while the cat is away, the fox tricks the rooster, steals him, and ties him up in her house, telling her children to let no one in; when she goes out, the cat tricks the fox's children and rescues the rooster. This simple story, smoothly translated, is a vehicle for Lavro's crisp, colorful, stylized illustrations of oversized animals in traditional Ukrainian folk costumes. The cat looks like a Cossack, complete with braid; the rooster wears a caftan, boots, and spurs. But for their feathers, paws, and tails, the animals would look like people—every posture and facial expression entirely anthropomorphized. A little ethnic flavor, in vivid detail. (Picture book/folklore. 3-8)