cover image SLEEP TIGHT, GINGER KITTEN

SLEEP TIGHT, GINGER KITTEN

Adele Geras, , illus. by Catherine Walters. . Dutton, $15.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-525-46771-7

Cat lovers will recognize the familiar scenario depicted in Geras's (Troy, reviewed below) brief text: a kitten that has trouble finding the right place for a nap. Walters (When Will It Be Spring?) portrays the saucer-eyed, pint-sized feline at the peak of spring, as the kitten starts his search among forsythia, daffodils and lush green grass. But, like Goldilocks, he finds each potential napping place either too uncomfortable, ill-fitting or, in the case of a promising spot behind the bathroom door, fraught with hazard. Ginger Kitten eventually scouts out a spot that's just right: a "child's warm lap. Finally he's found the perfect place for a nap!" The palette of orange and lapis imbues the pages with a jewel-like elegance. Feline fans will cotton to this volume, which nails the audacity and awkwardness at the heart of a kitten's irresistible appeal. Ages 2-6. (May)