After a fat cat arrives at the neat home of elderly Cornelius, the mess the cat creates forces the old guy to kick him out. But the lonely quiet prompts a reunion, with promises for more patience (on Cornelius's part) and tidiness (on the cat's). Energetic cartoon-like illustrations enhance the amusing story--which ends with the foreboding arrival of a scruffy puppy.

Cornelius Van Ploof is not a cat person-or is he?The fastidious elderly white man dislikes noise and mess, so when a "big fat cat" appears in a box on his doorstep on Sunday afternoon, there's bound to be trouble. Sure enough, a daily progression of trouble ensues. The green-and-blue striped cat (who bears quite a resemblance to John Tenniel's Cheshire-Cat) is "too messy…too lazy…too noisy…too smelly," and by Friday, "far too much of everything!" Cornelius kicks him out, only to regret this banishment and welcome the fat cat back inside. The pair agrees to compromise for the sake of companionship, but a punch line at book's end suggests that their newly happy home will need to adjust again when a scruffy puppy appears on the scene. Throughout, Patton's cartoon-style illustrations, which incorporate text in varying sizes and display types for sound effects, augment the humor of the text. Read that fat cat! (Picture book. 4-7)