Catside Up, Catside Down

August 1, 2023
Rhyming couplets--full of prepositions--accompany photographs of brightly colored cats and props, all composed of knitted, sewn, and arranged yarn. "Catside up, / catside down," proclaims the first page in bold black lettering. At the top right of the stark white page, a sweet-looking tannish cat smiles above the rim of a blue basket. There is no mistaking the fact that the black cat in the lower left is "catside down." Across the gutter, there's a bright pink "cat on a turntable, spinning around"--and again, quirky, masterful details in the art. On every page, prepositions are shown in boldface. The humorous text includes sophisticated vocabulary, with words such as configure and astraddle. The image of a feline pair with limbs linked (for "cats akimbo") is particularly funny, as is the cat matryoshka doll. The visuals are witty and whimsical but also spot-on in their portrayals of typical cat behavior--right through to the final, purrfect catnap. The last page has a rudimentary definition of prepositions that assumes understanding of nouns and pronouns--and contains one last, funny, cat-loving note. It is ironic that a book purportedly about prepositions includes some adverbs in boldface as well as prepositions. But who cares? As it entertains and educates, this book enhances appreciation for the English language. Human characters are diverse in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Delightful for cat lovers--and everyone else. (Picture book. 4-9)

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