Blue Ethel

Can literal blues lead to metaphorical ones? For an old, fat cat named Ethel, the answer is yes. Ethel sticks to her routine each day, which includes rolling around on a particular square of sidewalk. She doesn’t notice that the square is covered in blue chalk one day; her white fur turns bright blue, other cats whisper, and she retreats indoors, sad and embarrassed. After Ethel sees that her friend Fluffy is now pink, she has a change of heart—Reinhardt (Yaks Yak) gracefully reminds readers of the rewards of being open to new experiences. As befits a story with a central focus on color, Reinhardt’s palette is rich and lush; a field dotted with poppylike flowers takes on a tie-dyed quality as watery bursts of red bleed into grassy greens and yellows. Jittery ink lines bring Ethel’s world to life: when she ventures outdoors “to survey the land,” Reinhardt shows her perched on the porch, overlooking a yard dotted with plastic flamingoes and mushrooms, elaborate topiaries, and one very dead houseplant. It’s hard not to wonder what the story is with Ethel’s unseen caretakers. Ages 4–6. [em]Agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt and Zacker Literary. (May) [/em]