Jet the Cat (Is Not a Cat)

March 15, 2021
This kitty is unconventional...does that make her less of a kitty? "Jet is a cat just like any other cat. / She loves to pounce. She loves to sprawl. / And, of course, she loves to swim." Then Tom the Cat informs her that "real cats" don't like swimming at all. He thinks she must be a frog. So..."Jet is a frog just like any other frog. / She loves to swim. She loves to eat bugs. / And, of course, she sings in a high voice." Bull the Frog informs her that frogs have low voices, so Jet must be a bird....She can't fly, though, so she must be a goat. She doesn't have a beard, however, so could she be a pig? A platypus? A goblin shark? What is she? She goes home for a relaxing swim, which centers her enough that she can now say, "I am a cat UNLIKE any other cat. / But I am still a cat. And a great cat at that." This declaration prompts all the other animals to shout out their own peculiarities--which Jet is quite happy to accept. Crede's tale of individuality and acceptance of self gets its point across in an age-appropriate manner. Little individualists will identify with Jet and respond favorably to Runyan's cartoon illustrations of wide-eyed animals with bendy limbs and googly eyes. A brightly colored story of self-discovery by process of elimination. (Picture book. 2-6)

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April 15, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Jet is a cat. She likes to pounce, sprawl, and swim. But Tom the cat says that since real cats don't like water, Jet must be a frog. Diving into the pond, she accepts her new identity until Frog announces that because Jet sings high instead of low, she must be a bird. Sighing, Jet climbs a tree, eats bugs, and . . . flies? Falling flat, she tries fitting in as a goat ("Totally flightless? Check. Loves to prance? You know it!"), but she has no beard. After a relaxing swim, Jet announces that she's still a cat--"And a great cat at that!" The other animals admit their own quirks and find acceptance as they are. The lively, amusing narrative carries its point lightly, showing how Jet's frustration builds when she lets others define who she is and recedes when she takes charge of her identity. Speech balloons carrying the animals' comments add to the fun in the colorful, sometimes comical illustrations, which create a farm setting for the action. A pleasing picture book for reading aloud.

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