Cats Got Talent

Once upon a time, Hal, Dora, and Geneva led cushy lives as pet cats. Then things turned sour with their respective owners (in Hal’s case, his “despicable” curtain-tearing behavior was the source of the sourness), and they ended up as alley cats. Now Hal has an idea: they like to sing, the papers tell him that “singers earned big money,” so what if.... Readers may think Barrett, with his poker-faced storytelling, is headed toward a feline version of American Idol, or at least a tearful reconciliation with the cats’ former owners. But this wonderfully wacky book is full of surprises. What is essentially a Darwinian tug-of-war between cats and humans may not sound like a big laugh getter, but Barrett (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) pulls it off. His indomitable—okay, clueless—furry heroes, and hardboiled illustrations, whose retro style is a cross between those of Merrie Melodies and 1960s underground comics, reassure readers that, though the cats’ caterwauling has the neighborhood up in arms, nothing bad is going to happen to them. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)