CAT DREAMS

A tortoiseshell cat enjoys a run after a chipmunk and some leaps over the furniture, but she’s ready for a nap. She settles down and goes to sleep. “Oh, how nice! It’s raining mice!” She and her friends chase the dogs away with a scary Trojan cat. She sups on cream (pouring from a Grecian-inspired cat fountain) and kibble and climbs a catnip tree for a rest in a blue jay’s nest. When she tumbles out of the tree in her cat dream, there’s only one place that will soothe her. “I need a lap. I need her lap. / Her lap is the best, best place for a nap.” The lap and the petting that follow lead inevitably to the purr. National Book Award winner Le Guin and her Catwings collaborator Schindler re-team for this peek into the dreams of cats. Easy rhyming text will be quickly memorized, but the realistic, full-bleed watercolor illustrations will keep youngsters turning the pages. A perfect fit for storytimes on cats, naps and dreams. (Picture book. 2-6)