Eula, the star of this book, is square, literally, and a bit misunderstood.
"Square Cat"
By Elizabeth Schoonmaker
1st Aladdin, $14.99, ages 4-8
The book is square, because Eula, the star of the show, is. (Draw a square, add ears and a tail with right angles.) "She longed to be a round cat like her friends Patsy and Maude." Hurrah for their names and for the fact that all three have fashion sense. Eula's "favorite circle skirt didn't quite fit right" and Patsy and Maude try to cheer her up by making her "feel round. They gave her hoop earrings and a beehive hat." Patsy and Maude, most energetic in their friendship, keep on with different consolations, telling Eula that mouse holes "are impossible for all cats, round or square. Eula was surprised. She didn't know that." The author pulls out an unexpected ending, leaving cats and readers purring.
By Mary Harris Russell
The Chicago Tribune
January 14, 2011
Copyright 2011 Chicago Tribune
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