My Lazy Cat

PreS-Gr 2—Boomer is a large lazy stray taken in by a little girl with a lot of energy. While she's off at judo, swimming, soccer, and other activities, Boomer sleeps on and on. Then one day, the little girl spends some time with Boomer exploring the backyard, observing the world, and even enjoying a cat nap. When her parents ask her what she's done all day she smiles and replies "Nothing." This story is a bit of a disappointment. While the illustrations are a delight, the text falls flat structurally. The story relies heavily on alteration, but the formatting appears in parts as though it should rhyme or certainly have more rhythm than it does. While not necessarily hard to read aloud, it could provide a few stumbles, which might be the result of translation from its original French. The child's overscheduled life should be more of a cautionary tale for grown-ups than a lesson for the target audience.