DINAH!

Dinah is a tiny cat when she comes to live with her family, that is, until each one secretly feeds her tidbits and she becomes a very big cat, bigger than any other cat—except Dinah doesn’t know she’s a cat! Instead, she’s Father’s princess, Mother’s baby, and Boy’s friend. Dinah has never been outdoors and one day, as she tries to see out, she falls through the window and rolls far from home. As Dinah tries to get home, an old lady thinks she’s a raccoon, a fruit vendor thinks she’s a runaway watermelon (a hairy one), and a shepherd thinks she’s a fat little tiger trying to eat her sheep. When Dinah meets up with a dog, he informs her that she’s a cat and tries to attack her. Running away, Dinah wonders who she really is until she hears her family’s familiar voices calling her home. Broad-stroked watercolor illustrations comically depict the very roly-poly, orange-striped cat, keeping Dinah’s adventure humorous rather than scary for young readers. (Picture book. 4-6)