Opposites Attract

January 15, 2023
Sometimes it takes a little while for opposites to attract. Using just a word or two per page, Hokkanen tells a story of burgeoning friendship. An "old" black cat (with a white circle around one eye) is snoozing unsuspecting when the family introduces a "new" white kitten (with a black circle around one eye). The old cat is understandably "grumpy," while the new kitten is quite "happy" to have giant cat furniture to explore. The kitten is, of course, "energetic"; the cat is "exhausted" just watching the little one's antics. The troubles ramp up when the cat is "asleep" and the kitten is "awake." The kitten chomps on cat's fluffy tail. Cat retaliates, pushing kitten out through the cat door. The cat is "inside," while the kitten is "outside" (in the rain). Finally, the cat brings the "wet" kitten in to lick it "dry." Relations still take a while to thaw, but they bond over dinner. Unfortunately, the cats' owners aren't done introducing new family members. The concise text, made up entirely of opposite words, is effective, while the digitally created illustrations of the protagonists will make cat lovers smile; together, text and art convey a simple story of the developing relationship between the new fur-siblings. Human faces aren't portrayed; readers see only a pair of light-skinned arms. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Brevity is the soul of wit in this endearing tale of two kitties. (Picture book. 2-5)

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January 1, 2023
Preschool-Kindergarten An old cat is napping indoors when a new pet, a kitten, enters the scene. Cat is crabby and big. Kitten is rambunctious and little. Playing on a climbing apparatus, Kitten is happy. Watching from below, Cat is grumpy. Eventually, Cat walks away and falls asleep. Kitten follows, wide awake. When Kitten pounces on Cat's tail, a chase ensues, during which a full fishbowl becomes empty. Cat pulls Kitten to the cat door and pushes him outside, into the rain. Later, Cat relents, bringing Kitten back inside. They play together, eat together, and curl up for a nap together. On the last page, a puppy is brought into the household, perhaps hinting at a sequel. A Finnish American writer-illustrator, Hokkanen tells a simple, satisfying story while including examples of opposites in a natural-sounding way. In the digital artwork, black and gray drawings on white backgrounds show the action and the characters' emotions clearly. Color is used sparingly in some scenes and fully in others but always effectively. An amusing, enjoyable picture book for reading aloud to young children.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 20, 2023
Two cats prove a study in contrasts in this humorous look at opposites from Hokkanen (Mossy and Tweed: Crazy for Coconuts). As Cat lounges on the windowsill, a pale-skinned human is seen heading toward the house holding a pet carrier. “Old” Cat’s life is forever changed when a pair of human hands gently places tiny, bright-eyed “new” Kitty nearby. The ensuing pages visually depict the two pets’ dance of getting to know one another as told in pairs of words with contradictory meanings. Cat, who sports black fur with a white patch around one eye, scowls and stuffs itself into a cardboard box on a page labeled “grumpy,” as white Kitty, shown with a black patch of fur around the other eye, joyfully explores the levels of a colorful cat tree under the word “happy.” The claws really come out when Cat is seen yowling and hair-raisingly jumping “up” as Kitty mischievously bites “down” on Cat’s tail. After a dramatic chase sequence, the duo finds their way to an understanding—and a cozy, cuddling friendship. But a cheeky final illustration hints that quiet on the home front may not last. Digitally rendered feline figures pounce and play across ample white space, interacting with cat toys, yarn balls, and a goldfish bowl in various splashes of color, creating a lively, feline-forward concept lesson. Ages 2–5. Agent: Laurel Symonds, Bent Agency.

June 23, 2023

PreS-K-Old or new, grumpy or happy, opposites describe this charming pair of cats as they learn to live with each other. A new kitten arrives in a home, and the senior cat learns to accommodate, and then embrace, the new member of the family. Hokkanen combines an opposites-filled text and digital illustrations to capture the tone and emotion of both cats. The complete narrative is accomplished through minimal language and expressive illustrations that will help students understand concepts like "push and pull" or "energetic and exhausted," and even "many and few." By story's end a new bond has been formed, which is fortunate, as on the end papers it's clear a new pet is being brought into the house, and the two cats are going to have their paws full managing the new arrival. VERDICT Highly entertaining for teaching opposites or for prompting students to add descriptive language to a fun story. The conclusion of the book could also be used to engage students in writing their own sequel.-John Scott

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