Bedtime Cat

by Lynn Reiser

PreSchool-K-- Sweet, bright, and involving. Familiarity is the keynote here, relayed in a very easy text in which a little girl returns home at day's end, for ". . . washing time and nightgown time . . . and bedtime for me and my cat." It's all cozy, safe, predictable--until the cat is missing, and the child searches the house, a process loaded with chances for readers to join in. She decides her cat is lost outside, and a double-page spread of a dark forest communicates the helplessness she feels. Heading for bed in tears, she finds her cat waiting on her pillow. Considering the simplicity of its story line and the economy applied to the number of words used, the book's ability to evoke dismay and relief is surprising. And simplicity keeps the emotions pure. Watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations, in a style a little like Anne Rockwell's, are just right for the story, protecting its clarity and applicability. Not just cat lovers but all children who have misplaced something essential at bedtime will see themselves on these pages and will be satisfied with the resolution. --Liza Bliss, Leominster Public Library, MA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Sammy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Severely under-hyped. Now that I think about it….. where IS my cat?!?

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice bedtime story, with a the familiar routine for most children. But where's the cat? It's a fun book to read aloud, especially at bedtime. We enjoyed reading it together.

[Annette Taylor-james · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teaches transitional words good for a bedtime story. It also shows different emotions.

[Anne White]

I had forgotten about this one, but it came back to me as I remembered one of our little ones repeating "Is my cat outside? In the dark???" Oscar-worthy.