Read, Write, Repeat.

A few months ago, I came home to find my normally sedate cat, Vince, had apparently written a book review of Where is Catkin, a new picture book by Janet Lord and Julie Paschkis.

He never formally admitted authorship, but all the signs pointed toward him.

So when I saw Frankie Works the Night Shift (Greenwillow, 2010) another picture book about a self-sufficient cat, I casually left it where Vince would be sure to find it when he woke from his nap.

Then, I waited. And waited.

Nothing happened.

I almost gave up hope. But, when I returned from a weekend with my inlaws and their huge dog, Ivan, a completed review was in my “Drafts” folder.

Vince feigned indifference. But I think he was worried I might ask Ivan to review a dog book and wanted to issue a pre-emptive strike. So, without further ado … Vince.

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You’d think a hardworking cat could be left in peace, but no-oo-oo.

I mean, seriously, after all I do around this house, an uninterrupted nap shouldn’t be too much to ask. But instead, someone drops a book next to me and acts like it’s an accident.

Subtle. Really subtle.

I was going to ignore it. I can’t be bought. But there was a picture of a very handsome cat on the cover and one of an even more interesting mouse on the inside, so I read it.

Turns out, it’s about this cat who lives in a hardware store. Every night, his people go to sleep and leave him to do all the work.

Typical.

Of course, he doesn’t complain and makes sure things go as smoothly as possible after hours. (Editor’s note: Vince’s idea of a smooth night may differ from that of most readers.)

And then, after he’s worked harder than any dog and should be entitled to a snack and a nap, he finds a mousy intruder. He stalks that rodent through the store with nothing but the best interests of the business at heart, yet all he gets is a “Be quiet, Frankie!” from the people sleeping upstairs.

That’s gratitude for you.

Until they see the mouse. Then, they’re all, “Go get it, Frankie!”

But note this. No one gets out of bed to help. So Frankie, the poor sap, keeps chasing the interloper until he eventually drives it outside. Then, the people go back to sleep and Frankie gets some rest too.

As well he should.

And, honestly, would it kill his family to toss in a little tuna?

One thing I’ve learned about books is they’re always trying to teach you something. A story about a cat’s inevitable triumph over a mouse is thrilling enough to stand alone, but for human children who can’t appreciate the pure genius of such a tale, this book also reinforces counting.

Frankie empties one wastebasket, cleans two counters and calls three meetings and keeps going all the way to number ten.

So now, because I know you’re expecting it, I’ll throw in something educational for you.

Want to learn more about author Lisa Westberg Peters? Here’s her website. I think she should have included a picture of her cat. After all, she says he inspired this story. Share the love!

Want to learn more about illustrator Jennifer Taylor? Here’s her website. There are lots of pictures of cats. Some even use digital photography. I think this is smart because few human artists can capture the innate, regal presence of cats without a little help.

Anyway, check this book out. Even though I was coerced into reviewing it, I did enjoy it because it reinforced what I’ve always known.

Cats rule. Mice drool.

Numbers and nature are all rolled up into one enjoyable picture book in This Tree Counts (Albert Whitman, 2010).

Author Alison Formento and illustrator Sarah Snow combine their talents to tell the tale of the lone oak tree behind an elementary school.

A class decides the tree needs friends, so it plants 10 new oak trees nearby. But first, the students listen to the story the old oak has to tell and learn something about the 10 animals that live in the tree and what they do.

This book is also cool because it is printed on recycled paper and a portion of the proceeds go to planting more trees through AmericanForests.org.

Here’s what today’s guest reviewer, Julia, has to say:

Our reviewer: Julia

Age: 6

This book was about: A tree that told a story about counting, bugs and animals.

The best part was: The first page and how you can use your finger like a car and drive down the streets.

I laughed when: I saw the tree house and it didn’t have anything holding it in the tree. Because it kinda looked like it was flying and tree houses aren’t supposed to fly.

I was worried: That the spiders would kill the tree. They can sometimes kill trees. My cousin Payton told me that once.  

I was surprised that: That the boy was building a house. Because I didn’t really think that houses were made of wood. I thought they were made of walls.

This book taught me: That sometimes trees can talk. No, no, no. Trees can do lots of good things like clean the air, give nice shade and have good climbing spots.

Other kids reading this book should: They should learn that this book is a good one and that trees are really helpful.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Great.” “Awesome.” “Exciting.”

My favorite line or phrase in the book is: I have three sentences that I like. The ones where it’s like … “Four robins tweet out hello,” “Three squirrels hop on my branches playing hide and seek,” and “One owl waits on a branch until it’s night.” (If you look at the top photo, Julia is holding the book open to her absolute favorite page.)

You should read this because: Because it’s fun. Because the counting part is kinda fun.

Thanks, Julia!

You can learn more about Alison Formento by visiting her website. It features a tree of the day. Alison also has a blog where she talks about books, trees and more.

You can learn more about Sarah Snow by visiting her website.