MORRIS IN THE APPLE TREE

A departure from French’s previous brightly colored picture books by a variety of illustrators, this easy-to-read chapter book, first published in Great Britain in 1995, is part of a series labeled, “Roaring Good Reads” that are “short, lively stories with illustrations on every page, for children just started to read by themselves.” Morris the cat has first one problem then another as he gets stuck in a tree and encounters a fierce dog. The black-and-white drawings have simple appeal, sketching feline feelings, antics and accompanying dialogue. Functional for its purpose, but this original paperback with black-and-white illustrations will be a tough sell next to standards like Frog and Toad, Henry and Mudge or Mr. Putter and Tabby. (Easy reader. 6-8)