Creature

“My eyes open and close dreamily,/ reflecting the whole universe,” narrates the adventuresome calico at the center of this rhythmically told space romp by Ballance. Wiping “cosmic dust” from its whiskers, the house cat casts a rocket-shaped shadow, “radiant, energised, prepared for lift-off!” Outside, fireflies become “asteroids and comets,” which the feline watches with glowing yellow eyes until, after a small adventure, it’s ready for “other-worldly dreams.” Oilyko’s boldly colored illustrations burst with purples and inky blues, capturing the astro-cat and a gray kitten companion cuddling, stretching, and clawing with creaturely abandon amid everyday objects (textiles covered with deep space designs, for example) that visually convey the way a cat’s-eye view might recast the domestic into something almost cosmic. An intergalactic ode to cats. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)