Cat the Cat sure likes her friends. You will too! Join thisspunky feline as she introduces the very youngest readers to herworld, where a surprise is waiting in every book!

Along with Let’s Say Hi to Friends Who Fly (2010), this upbeattitle introduces young children to a new cast of animal pals. Inlarge, bold type well-suited for brand-new readers, a narrator asksthe title’s question as winsome Cat the Cat, in a sporty purpledress, says hello to her friends, whose greetings, printed inspeech balloons, give a little glimpse into each new character’spersonality. Mouse the Mouse is straightforward (“Hello there!”),Duck the Duck is a bit formal (“A pleasure, as always!”), and Fishthe Fish is surfer-cool (“Hey, dude!”). Then Cat the Cat runs intoa many-armed alien, who is busily building a tower of blocks, andthe text’s easy, back-and-forth rhythm screeches to a halt: “Catthe Cat, who is THAT?” asks the narrator. “I have no idea,” isCat’s wary answer, until she recognizes the adorable stranger as “aNEW friend!” Once again, Willems avoids heavy messages and walksright into kids’ daily lives with this exuberant, clean-lined,animation-ready title that’s sure to widen his already vast fanbase. Preschool-Grade 1.