The cat gets a starring role in this companion to last year’s See the Cat: Three Stories about a Dog. Although the first page opens with “See the dog,” a cat pops up to say that the dog is sick today and she’ll be taking the dog’s place. But the cat’s not thrilled about the required dog activities. Digging a hole? She’ll get dirt on her fur. So she drives a digger onto the page. Fetching a stick in the lake? She closes her eyes and jumps—only to find it’s just a puddle. And finally, she is charged with protecting a sheep from a wolf. She puts the sheep in a tree (impressive) and then cowers in anticipation of the wolf, only to find it’s the dog, who is no longer sick and is ready to take over his duties. The simple declarative sentences echoing basal readers are used for a humorous effect when juxtaposed with the cat’s dialogue bubbles commenting on the story. (“What a bossy book!”) (Ages 4-7)

What happens when a cat tries to be a dog? With this second wry primer, the creators of See the Cat return to demonstrate that standing in for a friend can be trickier than expected.

The dog is sick today, but have no fear—the cat is happy to take his place! But when the book (who is very bossy) tells her to dig a hole, the dirt-averse cat finds a way to accomplish the task while keeping her fur pristine. And when the book demands that she fetch a stick (in the water!) or guard a sheep (from a wolf!), the cat responds in very un-doglike ways. Can the book and the cat reach a happy ending? With simple, repetitive phrases and tongue-in-cheek humor, this spoof on a classic early reader pits a well-meaning but slightly dramatic cat against a highly persistent book in a comical battle of wits that will have kids yowling.