BENT OUT OF SHAPE

A stinky cat hides when it’s time for a bath.

As in Kitty & Cat: Opposites Attract (2023), the animal adventures start on the copyright page. Spotlight illustrations show a disgruntled Cat, food bowl empty, scrounging for food in a garbage can and a flowerpot. Black fur now marred by brown filth, Cat enjoys a nap, but the feline’s peace is broken by the human announcing: “Cat! Time for a bath!” The rest of the story sees Cat hilariously contorting into various shapes—as cats are so talented at doing—to hide behind household objects, while little Kitty and Puppy aid in the search. On each spread, readers see a room while the human asks, “Where’s Cat?” With each page turn, Cat’s hiding place is disturbed with a, “There’s Cat!” The book allows young readers to deduce the clear patterns themselves—the shapes Cat takes are forecasted in the front endpapers. A pair of flies accompany the filthy, fragrant Cat from room to room, helpfully narrowing down possible hiding spaces. Finally, the human finds Cat, leading to the feline’s two most hilarious expressions in the book—cartoonish horror upon discovery and pure, unadulterated grumpiness in the bath. The ending combines the adorable with the humorous as the tables turn for Kitty and Puppy.

Clever, cute, and child-friendly, with excellent use of book design.