KATY DID IT!

This energetic katydid is quite the nuisance, her hopping wreaking havoc among the garden plants. With a “Boing / Boing / Boing… ‘Uh-oh!’ ” Katy scatters pollen, frightens away aphids and tangles a spider’s web. Her bothersome little sib Lou tattles at each opportunity, leading to Katy’s plaintive, repeated cry, “But I didn’t mean to!” There is humor in the details, as the neighborhood ants carry an array of food, including broccoli, nuts and lemons, upon their backs for their family feast. Katy finds redemption when a runaway olive blocks the door to the ants’ family home; her bouncing catapults the morsel off the page. The repetitive text energizes this small tale, though the narrative’s abruptness detracts somewhat from the adventure. Digitally rendered illustrations utilize texture and perspectives to convey Katy’s varying emotions, but the characters’ exaggerated expressions and anthropomorphized positions often result in an awkward presentation. The four-legged ’dids will further confound young entomologists. A stark white backdrop stunts the bright colors found in this garden view, leaving a wilted offering in its wake. (Picture book. 3-5)