Drat That Cat!

K-Gr 3—Suzy is the sort of cat to claw up the furniture, pee in golf bags, and make a general mess of things when she is feeling naughty. Usually she is very loving, especially toward people who don't like cats, like Grandpa. One day, though, she realizes that she is tired of her family being annoyed with her and decides to teach them a lesson; she fakes an illness and they are all so worried about her that they accept her behavior, good or bad, and she enjoys the love from her now-grateful family. Ross is famous for his skillful depictions of characters who aren't all good but who readers are invited to love anyway. His sense of humor is fully present here in the creation of a manipulative feline who feels that she has been slighted by her ordinary human family who have very normal reactions to her bad habits (dead birds in the living room, hairballs, etc.). Snarky yet sweet, Ross's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations add comical details that will reward repeated sharing.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA