POSY

A curious kitten tumbles around the house doing such silly cat things as spider-catching and sofa-scratching. Newbery’s prose—“Posy! / She’s a... / whiskers wiper, / crayon swiper. / Playful wrangler, / knitting tangler”—is as bouncy as her subject, and her characterizations will be easily recognized by anybody who shares living space with a feline. The brief text puts a spotlight on the illustrations, and they deserve it: Rayner’s watercolor-and-ink creations are what separates this from other cute-kitty tales. The scribbly texture of the ink and the softness of the tabby-toned watercolors create an opposing energy that almost animates the images and serves Posy’s pouncing, clawing and rolling well. The simplicity of telling that allows these images to take center stage creates a format dilemma, however—with only four to eight words per spread, the text seems more suited for a board book, but the beauty of the illustrations demands the large trim and creamy, matte stock. Preschoolers and even toddlers may well wish for more substance to support the sophisticated visuals. (Picture book. 2-4)