DO OUR CATS really love us? Frankly, I'm skeptical. It seems very possible they're just using us for food and shelter and a good scratch behind the ears. Even the cuddliest kitties will take an occasional swipe at us for no reason. I bet if I were shrunk down to the size of a mouse, most house cats would eat me for breakfast. Then they'd find a sunny spot on the floor and dream happy thoughts. Cats are complicated. That's why we relate to them, and why they make such rich subjects for children's books. We've seen plenty of cat books over the years, but four new ones take a fresh approach. Winning the award for best title is "Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat," written and illustrated by Katie Harnett. It's the story of a stray cat who spends his time on Blossom Street, wandering from house to house, and joining the residents in their favorite activities. Mr. Green calls the cat "Archie" as he cooks him fresh fish. Madame Betty calls him "Snufflekins" and "Cupcake" (among other names) as she lounges in her fashionable home. Miss Fernandez calls him "Valentine" as she paints his portrait. Thus the book's wonderfully silly title. One home on Blossom Street is quieter than the rest. Mrs. Murray seems content with her solitary life, but surely a companion would be nice. And when at last the stray cat appears on her doorstep, we happily realize these two are perfect for each other. In her debut as both author and illustrator, Harnett gets everything right. Her story is touching without being overly sentimental (which is no easy feat). And her gorgeous illustrations perfectly suit the mood. She uses warmly colored paints and pencils, and an impeccable sense of design, to pull us right into the pleasant world of Blossom Street. She's created a diverse cast of human characters, each one unique and real and full of personality. All the while, the cat maintains a charmingly aloof expression. Isn't that just like a cat? Papillon, the protagonist of A. N. Kang's debut picture book, "The Very Fluffy Kitty Papillon," is an adorable cat with an unusual problem: "He is lighter than air, which can get him into trouble." He's so fluffy he floats. His owner, Miss Tilly, tries her best to keep him grounded, but nothing seems to work. When she leaves Papillon home alone, her worst fears come true as the cat floats right out the window and into the great unknown. But fear not! All along, a little red bird has been hiding within the illustrations, and it's this bird who eventually comes to the rescue, tugging the fluffy kitty home through the air like a balloon. Miss Tilly is overjoyed when Papillon returns, and she promptly makes a little birdhouse hat for her cat to wear, so the two new friends can always be together. Kang's illustrations of the fluffy kitty floating against a deep blue sky pulled along by the bright red bird will induce plenty of giggles. The story leaves us hoping Miss Tilly will put screens in her windows, and we're not quite sure how the birdhouse hat will work out, but despite a few lingering questions, readers will be happy to see that everything turns out well for Papillon. "Max at Night" is the latest installment in Ed Vere's Max series. This time the cute black cat is getting ready for bed, and saying good night to all his favorite things, when he discovers that the moon is not in the sky. Where could it be? Max puts off bedtime and heads out into the night to solve the mystery. He searches everywhere for the moon. But it's not until he climbs the highest of the high hills that the wind hears him crying out, and it "blows and blows and blows" the clouds away, revealing the moon, big and bright and exactly where it should be. Relieved that all is right with the world, Max returns home and falls fast asleep. Vere's playful, minimalist illustrations are just right for this quiet story. Some might wonder how the cat will cope with a new moon, but everyone will be rooting for Max, and hoping he returns in another adventure. "They All Saw a Cat," written and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel, begins simply, with an illustration of a cat walking across a blank page. But when we turn to the next page we find that the cat looks cuddlier than before, because we're now seeing it from a child's point of view. We turn another page and the cat looks more frightened and creepier than before, because we're seeing it from a dog's point of view. Another page turn and the cat looks tastier, because we're seeing it from a fox's point of view. And so on, as "the cat walked through the world." It is repetitive but never redundant, every page revealing something insightful about both the cat and each new animal it encounters. Everything builds to a very satisfying ending as the cat looks at its own reflection in a puddle, and we see the cat from its own point of view. What impresses me most is how Wenzel keeps the cat at arm's length from the reader. He avoids all the familiar feline tropes and uses the cat as a device to teach us about the other animals. "They All Saw a Cat" is as much about "they" as it is about a cat. I love that! And there's plenty more to love. The language is simple and lyrical. The illustrations are fun and energetic. I could go on, but words never do justice to great picture books. You really need to read "They All Saw a Cat" for yourself to appreciate all that Wenzel has accomplished. PETER BROWN is the author and illustrator of many picture books. His first middle-grade novel, "The Wild Robot" was published this year.

*Starred Review* What does saw mean anyway? If you're Wenzel, the word is an invitation to explore, to think, and to see in new ways. Here, a repeating refrain with more than a hint of nursery rhyme pads through the book, right along with the central character: a cat. The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws. Yes, they all saw a cat. Each page turn reveals how a series of creatures sees the cat. To the child, it is big-eyed and adorably fluffy; to the fish in the bowl, it's two huge, blurry eyes; and to the bee, it is a series of faceted dots. To create these varied visions, Wenzel uses the spacious width of double-page spreads and a wide range of materials, including oil, pastels, watercolor, and pencils. He plays with perspective in other ways, too. A yellow bird looks down at the cat below, and a flea peers through a forest of fur. The result is fascinating, thought-provoking, and completely absorbing. Rich in discussion possibilities and curriculum applications, this is a treasure for classrooms, story hours, and just plain enjoyment.--Rutan, Lynn Copyright 2016 Booklist

Seeing is perceiving. As a cat walks through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws, a diverse assortment of creatures happens upon it, each with a distinct (if sometimes enigmatic) perception of the feline. To the fox, the cat is a frightened, plump morsel; to the fish, it is a fuzzy blur through a glass bowl; to the flea, it is all hair; and to the mouse, the cat is a nightmarish combination of ferocious eyes, claws, and teeth. Rendered in almost everything imaginable (including colored pencil, oil pastels, acrylic paint, watercolor, charcoal, Magic Marker, and more), Wenzels colorful, dazzling illustrations are as varied from page to page as the animals represented. The text is spare but steady, with all-caps and italics used for emphasis, and plenty of rhythm and repetition. The story apexes in a mash-up showing the cat on a double-page spread reminiscent of Eric Carles Mixed-Up Chameleon. YES, THEY ALL SAW A CAT! The book ends in a question as the cat looks at its reflection in a pond, and readers are asked to imagine what it saw. When the cat is illustrated without a particular characters lens provided, it is sleek and realistic-looking with a face that is never shown directly; that mystery, given the sense of inquiry and wonder this book constructs, is fittingly left for readers to contemplate. elisa gall (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"The cat walked through the world, with its whiskers, ears, and paws," writes Wenzel (Beastly Babies) at the opening of this perspective-broadening picture book. What those features add up to depends on the eyes of the beholder, not to mention scale relationships, instincts, and history. To a child, the cat looks like a pet: affectionate, big eyed, and adorable. But a flea sees a vast forest of dense hair to conquer. A mouse cowers before the dragonlike creature of horror that bounds out of a blood-red background with blazing yellow eyes. And a bee sees a collection of multicolored dots-a pointillist pussycat. The simple text ("the skunk saw a cat, and the worm saw a cat, and the bat saw a cat. Yes, they all saw the cat") creates a powerful, rhythmic juxtaposition between word and image, and inventively varied renderings showcase a versatile, original talent at work, in media ranging from collage to pencil and watercolor. This is Wenzel's first book as both illustrator and writer, and it's marvelous-no matter how you look at it. Ages 3-5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 3-Readers see the world through a different set of eyes thanks to Wenzel's whimsical and eye-catching artwork as a child, a fox, a worm, and others look on as a tabby saunters through a variety of environments. Each distinctive and imaginative spread features a shape-shifting perspective-such as a bee's pointillistic view of the feline-set to a stripped-down, rhythmic text. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.