The Cat Sat on the Mat

As youngsters follow a cat through the activities of its day, try to guess where it will go next, and search for a mouse in each illustration, they learn simple vocabulary, in a colorful, peep-through-the-hole book featuring repetitive refrains.

PreSchool-Grade 2-Lively pen-and-watercolor illustrations portray the antics of a family cat as it makes its way through the house, plopping down on whatever is nearby, starting with the outside mat and moving on to the acceptable couch and lap to the not-so-acceptable groceries, kitchen counter, building-block castle, and bed. Finally, the feline is put out for the night and returns to the doormat. In each scene, the animal is shadowed by a mouse who is careful to keep a safe distance. As in Jones's Old Macdonald Had a Farm (1989) and This Old Man (both Houghton, 1990), center-cut peekholes give readers visual hints as to what will happen next. Children will enjoy the guessing-game element, and cat lovers will recognize the all-too-familiar situation of an independent pet taking over the house. The large, bold print; simple, repetitive sentences; and the use of one highlighted word on each verso make this an effective beginning reader. Despite the clever premise, however, the book is somewhat uneven in quality. Some of the visual clues are obvious; others are not. Words introduced vary in difficulty, ranging from "mat" and "lap" to "counter" and "piano." Not an essential purchase, but certainly an entertaining one.
Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Another charming peephole book from illustrator Jones (Hickory Dickory Dock, 1992, etc.). Using one simple sentence fragment-- ``The cat sat on the...''--this book follows a persistent cat around the house as he tries to get comfortable on everything from the groceries to a piano. The illustrations are tied together by a series of peepholes--as well as by the recurrent appearance of a tiny mouse. And, every few pages, a roundup of little images shows all the places the cat has tried--and failed--to sit. Newcomer Cameron's text is spare and serves to teach a variety of new words, which appear in large red letters above the peephole drawings. There is lots to look at and learn here. Wonderfully creative. (Fiction/Picture book. 2-5) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Ages 2-5. The cat sits on the mat, then the car, then the step, until it finally lands back on the mat. There isn't any story here, but young children will enjoy peering through the peepholes and guessing where the restless cat will try to sit next. They might also enjoy following the little gray mouse that scampers through each picture. And they will learn new words because the text is laid out and designed to introduce the 14 simple nouns that name what the cat sits on. Printed in large, crisp black letters that run across the top of each page, each sentence begins "The cat sat on the . . . ." When the page is turned, the word for what the cat is sitting on is printed in red letters. Jones' pen-and-watercolor illustrations have a warm, cozy feel. While not an essential purchase, the book is cleverly crafted (although some of the visual clues are less than obvious) and will work for lap-time learning. Consider purchasing as a feline alternative to the popular, lift-the-flap Spot books. Annie Ayers