MYSTERIOUS MITTENS

The Moontime Cats return, this time with an imposter in their ranks.

Nocturnal feline besties Carl, Biscuit, Peewee, and Mittens, who live to make (mild-mannered) mischief, know that “tonight is special. The neighborhood is spookier than usual.” Going unsaid: It’s Halloween! Carl, Biscuit, and Peewee are costumed for the occasion and declare Mittens’ turtle getup “incredible! Very realistic. Well done, Mittens!” But that isn’t Mittens in disguise: It’s a real turtle! And the turtle-costumed real Mittens? She’s on her own on the trick-or-treating scene, looking for her friends (“Meow?”). Meanwhile, the other cats and Mittens’ doppelgänger frolic in a graveyard, flee from a barking, chained-up dog, and sing a “spooky song” in a tree. Fortunately, the fake Mittens’ fall from the tree is broken by the real Mittens, and the friendship circle opens to let in one more. This series’ small dramas are winningly reminiscent of the experiences of human toddlers, who, like the Moontime Cats, skate from one mini-tempest to the next. Working in colored pencil and watercolor, Mylie once more provides shimmery hues on black backgrounds—a look that’s tailor-made for a Halloween romp. The streets that the cats walk are aglow with lights, leaves, and wide-open eyes likely to match beguiled young readers’ own.

More mellow holiday antics from the cats who just wanna have fun.