CAT AND MOUSE IN THE RAIN

Bogacki's second book about two friends (Cat and Mouse, 1996) is a charming glass-half-empty/glass-half-full story. From their respective homes, the little mouse and the little cat want to go out to the meadow to play with each other, but their siblings warn them that it might rain. The two friends meet anyway, and thanks to an optimistic frog, the pair learn how to play in the drizzle. The text and illustrations shine in their simplicity; Bogacki's lines recreate rain and grass, and give the characters furry appeal. The circle of tolerance grows in this entry: During a second day of rain, all the little cats, all the little mice, and all the little frogs frolic together. (Picture book. 3-5)