Kitties on Dinosaurs

July 1, 2020
Everyone knows kitties like to climb, but these kitties are obsessed. A pink, a yellow, and a calico kitty who live together on a cat-shaped tropical island are expert climbers. They have climbed everything: a cat tree, a real tree, and even an ancient litter box surrounded by trees. Their next conquest: the dinosaurs on Dinosaur Island. Heedless of the narrator's admonitions, the kitties climb into their domed, amphibious "litter mobile" (it has a periscope!), and they head out to climb some prehistoric monsters. Their first attempt ends with them literally bouncing down the back of a puzzled sauropod when it rears up on its hind legs. They next don cowboy boots in hopes of lassoing a dino, but this time they nearly end up in the lava pit. "Cat-mouflage" proves equally disastrous. A paratrooping plan D (who makes a plan D?) fails, but the dinos have been charmed by the kitties' adorableness, and climbing ensues after some cuddling. That's it, right? Dinosaurs must be the ultimate climb, but it turns out those were only dinosaur kids. Will they make a try for the Mommysaurs? Of course! Slack's jokey, cajoling narration adds to the fun of this silly romp. The digitally painted illustrations of round-eyed kitties and toothy cartoon dinos will entice fans of both to read or listen. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 55% of actual size.) What will these kitties conquer next? Hopefully a sequel. (Picture book. 2-7)

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August 3, 2020
A rascally trio—one pink, one striped yellow, and one patchy gray feline—who live on cat-shaped Kitty Island have “climbed everything there is to climb” and now have a lofty new goal: scaling the three dinosaurs they’ve spotted on nearby Dinosaur Island. After the crew sails across the water in their litter mobile, they make unfriendly first contact with “prehistoric grouch lizards,” then, in quick succession, enact plans B: Booted Buckaroos, C: Cat-mouflage, and D: Dino Drop. Slack’s omniscient narration adds a wry metafictional tone to the kitties’ exploits (“Close call, furballs. You barely escaped. Let me guess. Plan C?”). Textured, motion-focused digital art in mellow tones complements the feisty, big-eyed kitties’ nonstop action. An absurd conceit bolsters a lively story that encourages ambition, tenacity, creative problem-solving, and cuddling. Ages 3–5.