THE CAT'S VACATION

When the family's away, the cat will play, says this engaging exposé. The jet-black cat curls up on a red couch after his family goes on a trip: "When the nice lady from next door comes over to water the plants and bring in the mail, she usually finds him taking a nap, just like any other cat. But as soon as she leaves," exotic animals visit from various corners of the globe. Two crocodiles come from the Nile River, three tigers travel from India and "the Penguin family arrives from the South Pole. Your cat shows them into your bedroom." The cat is "a very talented baker," and Moose (a laid-back guy who sleeps on the sofa) makes lemonade for their extravagant patio parties. "Too bad you're not home to enjoy the fun!" teases Swiss author/artist Schoch, who makes her U.S. debut. She creates paint-and-wallpaper collages that recall Matisse's canvases of southern France. The cozy house interior is a feast of patterned curtains, tablecloths, bedspreads, Persian carpets and big leafy houseplants, in hues of brick red, cool turquoise, yellow and chocolate; the mellow, green-eyed host bears a resemblance to Woodleigh Hubbard's suave Hip Cat . Schoch keenly imagines a housecat's secret life in this witty interlude, a sly way to soothe worries about independent, stay-at-home pets. Ages 3-6. (June)