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Saturday, January 6, 2024

Scaredy Cats, written and illustrated by Jeff Mack. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House, 2023. $24.99 ages 2 and up

 


"Or what if it's a cake, a croc, 
AND
a fierce tiger?

A tiger?

TA-DA! 

ROAR!"

This is an entertaining read for the littlest listeners. Two cats are interested in what's inside a pink polka dot box, wrapped with pink ribbon. The one asked about it is not sure what to say. Her imagining what's inside is shown on the facing page. 

Conversation between the two takes the same format as the pages turn. The white cat makes a suggestion, and imagines that she is right. The orange cat is worried that she is wrong. What if it's a crocodile? As that suggestion is made, a striped cat joins the duo, also showing concern about what is really inside. The white cat sticks to her assumption that it is a cake. 

Each succeeding turn of the page is now filled with escalating concern about might be in the box. All three cats are scared as the threat grows in the imagination to bigger and bigger problems that come with not really knowing. Oh, what terror the imagination can elicit! 

As the page space for the cats is quickly overtaken by all they are imagining, they become smaller and smaller, and their guessing is uncontrolled.

"Or a cake, a croc, a tiger, a shark, 
a T-Rex, AND a thirty-ton monster 
guinea pig?"

This book has such appeal for kids who love interacting with the stories they are reading, and the drama the characters are facing. It won't be long until they are fully engaged in reading the words when the story is heard again and again. Jeff Mack does a great job with the illustrations, as always. The scenes are always playful. 

Hey! What is in the box? I wonder.  

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