CAT'S KITTENS

For seven nights, a stray cat mothers her new kittens, teaching them the ways of the city. Cat knows that her kittens will be forced to grow up fast, so she lets them test their surroundings, Ö la Nancy Tafuri's Have You Seen My Duckling? (1984). Each night, a new danger befalls one of the kittens, be it car, tree limb, dog, dustbin, or rat. The result of their explorations falls short of independence when one of them asks, ``Has the time come . . . when we must fend for ourselves?'' and Cat warns, ``Not until your tails are fluffier. Not until your ears are further apart.'' Sweeps of hazy blue-green and purple pastel craft atmospheric night scenes, particularly those showing the underside of restaurant chairs, and tables that look like alien planets from a cat's perspective. This is a series of moody moments rather than a story—more of a cautious outing than a hair-raising adventure. (Picture book. 4-8)