Cats Are Cats

PreS-Gr 1—Miss Bell loves cats. She buys a lovely kitten that has "stripes like a tiger, a tail like a tiger, and a smile like a tiger. So she named him Tiger." The woman takes very good care of her pet, and he grows and grows and grows. His roar sounds like a tiger, and soon he takes over the whole house. But Miss Bell still dearly loves her pet. "Cats are cats," she says as she and Tiger play with string. "Cats like fish," she thinks, so she buys him his own fish tank. And one day, one of the fish grows and grows and grows (into a shark). "Fish are fish," she says. Gorbachev's familiar watercolor illustrations bring this "tall tale" to life as this dear old lady raises her beloved kitten. Resplendent in purple polka dots and with a head of fiery red hair, Miss Bell is a doting mother who sees with her heart rather than through her large spectacles. Even when Tiger clearly is more than a cat, she remains devoted to her pet. Youngsters will easily understand the joke and laugh at the astounded faces of Miss Bell's neighbors when she and Tiger go for a walk. But watch out! They may try to find that pet store! A splendid addition.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH