To Love a Cat

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2 A simple, almost lyric introduction to cats and cat care, presented in large type with a profusion of full-color amateur-looking photos. In an inspirational rather than an instructive way, the brief text gives a general idea of the varieties of house cats that exist and their basic needs. The use of outdoor film for indoor pictures, combined with the many red and cream Persians shown, gives the book an orange cast. Even where colors are true, many of the photos are static, slightly fuzzy, or suffer from obscuring backgrounds or shadows. This is not to say that the book is unattractive; it just doesn't meet the high standards set by the Fischer-Nagels' A Kitten Is Born (Putnam, 1983) or Kitten Can. . . (Lothrop, 1984) by Bruce McMillan . For a longer text that combines inspiration with enough information for young cat owners, try dePaola's The Kids' Cat Book (Holiday, 1979). Margaret L. Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Lib . , N.Y.