The Secret Life of Walter Kitty, by Barbara Jean Hicks

Hicks, Barbara Jean. The Secret Life of Walter Kitty. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. 40 pages. $16.99, ISBN  978-0-375-83196-6

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
Walter the housecat reveals to us that although his "Person", Mrs. Biddle, doesn't realize, his name is actually "Fang".  Although his tame daily activities and demeanor couldn't be more disconnected from such a dangerous name, he has vivid waking dreams of an alter ago in which with much derring-do, he usually saves the day.  He is sometimes a swashbuckling pirate, sometimes an Indiana Jones-style adventurer, and sometimes Catzilla.  He does admit that he loves Mrs. Biddle after all, however.  This book, although not deeply meaningful, is humorous, and 3 and 4-year-old children will enjoy the contrast between Walter's real and imaginary worlds.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Here is a song that could be done as a fingerplay after reading this book aloud during preschool storytime:

          THE BIG BLACK CAT

          The little mice are creeping, creeping, creeping,
          The little mice are creeping, alll through the house.

          The big black cat goes stalking, stalking, stalking,
          The big black cat goes stalking, all through the house.

          The little mice go scampering, scampering, scampering,
          The little mice go scampering, all through the house.