A cute interactive book where the reader cares for a cat.

Another delightful interactive book from minibombo.

What's that orange ball? It's a cat! Call him by name to wake him up and let's get the story started. As this cute little interactive book continues, kids will pet, feed, tickle, and even squish fleas off their cat.

I'm looking for fun new cat books for a cat-themed outreach I have planned and I think this one, with its minimalist illustrations and silly actions, will work great with both toddlers and preschoolers.

I would recommend adapting the instructions somewhat if used with a class, but with minibombo books I generally use them as a framework and put in my own dialogue. First, you'll need to discuss what we're going to call the cat. Once a name is decided on, the kids can call her name (I usually switch to female pronouns b/c it's ridiculous how many animals etc. in storytimes default to "he") , make stroking motions in the air, make tickling movements with their fingers, pinch fleas (make sure they don't pinch each other), blow away fleas, hold up hands like an umbrella, blow again to get him dry (the book says to use your shirt as a towel, but I don't need to see that many bare tummies lol), and so on.

With a small enough class the kids can take turns doing the actions with the book, but you'll want to count beforehand - just so you know, there are 8 actions an individual child could come up to do.

Verdict: This small book is not ideal for a large storytime, but for a small group it's sure to hit the sweet spot! Recommended.

ISBN: 9780763694722; This edition published April 2017 by Candlewick; Purchased for the library

Another fun interactive book for read aloud or silent reading. The twist is the addition of a cat that the reader gets to name, pet, & protect throughout the book. Young listeners & readers will enjoy this book, and I'm sure they will provide the giggles along the way. Recommended for public libraries. ( )

A napping kitty cat is woken by the petting of the reader, who, instructed by the narrator, has a series of entertaining interactions with the feline, before he settles down to sleep again. Each two-page spread features the cat in a different position or condition, observed in black text, as well as instructions in green text for the next action that the reader/listener should take, from tickling the cat under the chin, to sheltering him from the rain with their hand.

Originally published in Italy as Il libro gatto, this delightfully interactive little picture-book reminded me quite a bit of Frenchman Hervé Tullet's Press Here, which also features a series of instructions to the reader, in which the desired actions seem to affect the progression of the story. I like that these books are so interactive, without requiring any sort of complicated (and highly destructible) paper engineering. The simple but colorful artwork here is also appealing. Recommended to anyone looking for the next book, after exhausting Hervé Tullet and the like. ( )