cover image Cats Sleep Anywhere

Cats Sleep Anywhere

Eleanor Farjeon. HarperCollins, $14.95 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-06-027334-7

A brief observant poem by the late Farjeon (1882-1965) provides the text for this slim book. Dainty illustrations depict blissfully smiling, sacked-out cats, ""Fitted in a cardboard box,/ In the cupboard/ With your frocks."" Mortimer's (A Pussycat's Christmas) expertise as a painter of miniatures is evident in both the meticulous detail of her work and her attention to texture--the cats' fur looks plush and silky. Her native British taste shows up in a fondness for floral patterns, especially in soft pinks and blues, which decorate hatboxes, upholstery and clothing. Those who really dote on cats will probably say, ""Aw, how cute!"" at every cat sprawled out on a swing or curled up in a shoe; others may find this excursion a bit purr-ecious. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)