Book: Cat & Mouse by Britta Teckentrup

I saw this book at a cute little store on a trip to Texas last month, and I could not resist. I did show a little self control though, and only bought two copies to give as gifts. After the taking of this photo, the book has moved on to its new home with my nephew.

This is a story that will be loved by kids, but also carrying some elements that can be enjoyed by their adults. The story follows a cat and mouse chase around the house and into the woods, with little peek-through spaces on each of the pages built in to the illustrations. The illustrations are mostly geometric figures arranged to give the idea of the spaces, without a ton of details. The story is told through a catchy rhythm of rhyming verse, and I liked the way that text blocking was used to keep things visually interesting.

I think this would be great as a read aloud, with one or with a group of younger children. There are good opportunities for predictions or questions, and kids will enjoy following the chase through the illustrations on each page. And don’t worry—despite the set up of the sneaky mouse and the clever hunter cat, there is an ending that will satisfy lovers of both!

Minka’s Thoughts: “Finally, a cat and mouse book where we don’t have to be the villain! 4 paws!”