Boing-Boing the Bionic Cat

Daniel, who loves cats but is allergic to them, is delighted when his inventive neighbor Professor George builds him a bionic cat with fiber-optic fur, computer-controlled joints, electronic eyes, and ceramic-sensor whiskers.

Grade 2-4-This chapter book in picture-book format begins with young Daniel bemoaning the fact that he will never have a cat because of his allergies. Then his neighbor, a robotics engineer, decides to build him a bionic pet with fiber-optic fur and whiskers made from "tiny little electronic ceramic sensors." The finished product looks just like the real thing, but when the professor checks the creature's voice, it says "Boing-Boing" instead of "Meow-Meow." He puts the project temporarily on hold, but when Daniel needs a present for his mother, he accepts the feline as is, asserting that the sound it emits makes it more special. Cartoon watercolor-and-ink illustrations of the bald, white-bearded professor and his marmalade invention appear on almost every page, and two blue-print diagrams of the bionic kitty, labeled with plenty of technical jargon, introduce the story. This original book will find an audience among youngsters who love modern science.
Elizabeth Maggio, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.