COOL CAT
by Nonny Hogrogian and illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian
The enticing cover is a perfect example of an effective, visual page turn, as a black-and-white cat carrying a brown case pussyfoots toward the right edge. Open the book, and a beautiful, wordless narrative begins on the endpapers. The cat opens the wooden box, which is filled with paints and brushes, and starts to paint over the dreary, desolate space littered with tin cans and broken bottles where he lives. Each spread adds a helpful creature that also plies a paintbrush and adds details to the picture: a cardinal, rabbit, squirrel, turtle and even a mouse. The final scene is a lush, lovely pond under a cloud-studded blue sky with some beautiful red roses for the cat to smell. Preschoolers will grin with delight as each page turn reveals something new in the evolving panorama. Accomplished with panache, a warm palette and quiet drama, the subtle message and charm of this wordless transformation make it a perfect companion to Leo Lionni’s Frederick. This cat? Way cool! (Picture book. 4-6)