Who Will Bell the Cat?

A two-sentence prologue outlines the basic conundrum of McKissack's (posthumously published) fable, thus asking readers to guess the outcome throughout: "The barn mice decided that if they put a bell around the cat's neck, they would know where she was at all times. Good idea, but who was going to bell the cat?" The story proper begins with some kind barn mice rescuing a sickly cat and nursing it back to health. Once recovered, however, the cat (depicted in the dark, digitally rendered illustrations as a luminous menace with sharp, exaggerated claws and teeth and wicked yellow eyes) shows its true nature: it kills mice. Smart Mouse, Wise Mouse, and Friend Mouse decide to attach a belled collar to the cat's neck to warn of its approach. Two attempts fail, but a third presents itself when a family of humans (the mice know that humans are "not known for being friendly to mice") moves to the farm. The young daughter takes a shine to "kitty," realizing that the collar seemingly just lying around the barn would help her locate her newfound "pet." But Wise Mouse poses a final question: "When you use a tiger to get rid of a lion, what will you do with the tiger?" The answer is that it's a problem for another day. Cyr's use of light draws viewers' eyes toward the solicitous and thoughtful mice, but when the cat attacks against a vibrant red background on a full-bleed double-page spread, expect startled squeals aplenty. betty carter