El gato con botas

Gr 1—5—A retelling of Charles Perrault's classic fairy tale. Nothing has been changed in this story of a dying miller who leaves a paltry inheritance to his three sons, the worst lot going to the youngest, who is left the family cat. Zabala provides a spare visual rendition of the clever feline whose trickster flare turns his poor master into royalty. The primarily cubist illustrations present sketches of stick figures and lollipop trees in a lackluster palette. Youngsters may identify with the childlike drawings that they could produce themselves. However, this shrewd cat deserves a more vibrant portrayal to match his wits. The CD includes an animated telling of the tale, a read-along version that has audio signals for each page turn, and a retelling of the tale with phrases missing and short pauses for readers to fill in the missing words. Children in the United States will enjoy the storyteller's Castilian accent on the audio but may need additional explanations about the vosotros verb form. This endearing tale itself is a must for children's libraries, but selectors may find a more child-friendly edition.—Gisela Norat, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA