THE LITTLE CAT AND THE GREEDY OLD WOMAN

A hungry kitten meows for food and would like a small taste of the special meal the greedy old woman is preparing. When nary a crumb is offered, he tries to sneak a bite, gets caught, and is summarily chucked into the rain. A monster-sized anger swells the puss to tiger-sized proportions, whereupon he takes his hungry revenge on the old woman's fancy meal. Through a getatable text and imaginative use of typefaces, Rankin's first book pedals a couple of gentle, sensible messages: Heroism is just another word for self-confidence, and gluttons are an unsavory lot destined for comeuppance. But the real show-stealers here are the illustrations, particularly of the metamorphosing cat. With a nod to Maurice Sendak and a wonderfully controlled use of watercolor, Rankin ensures that the eat commands the page, a vital presence, from kitty to wildcat to kitty again. The timidity of the ex-greedy old woman in the last few scenes is a truly rewarding sight. There's always room on the shelf for a smart, humorous swipe at one of the grand old vices.