cover image Eleven Cats and Albatrosses

Eleven Cats and Albatrosses

Noboru Baba. Carolrhoda Books, $12.95 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-87614-335-3

These four books represent numerous encounters in the lives of 11 cats, a mischievous, self-seeking bunch. Although the group has designated a leader, his primary function seems to be as an easily ignored figure of authority for the rest of the cats. In each story, the cats seek adventure through the perpetuation of various plots that involve a general disregard of rules and disdain for the rights of others. In Albatrosses , the cats determine to capture an albatross apiece to eat for dinner but are tricked when the 11th albatross enslaves the poor cats to cook potato croquettes for the hungry birds. In Bag , the cats disobey a series of ``Do Not . . . '' signs (such as ``Do Not Pick The Flowers'') with various disastrous results. The language has a somewhat clipped feeling; the short sentences seem to lack expression, which may be the fault of the translation. The gaily colored, cartoony illustrations are amusing, and somewhat flesh out the limitations of the text in their depiction of the cats' antics. Ages 5-9. (Nov.)