Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This (mostly) wordless book opens with the titular little red cat running out of his house toward an alligator with open jaws, and a chase begins. Here and on each page with a distinct, new alphabetical element that follows are printed only the upper- and lowercase initials of the relevant word: "Aa." A bear follows the alligator, followed by a chicken, then a dragon, and an egg, which issues from the startled chicken upon espying the dragon. Cat, alligator, bear, chicken, and egg (which has tiny, pipestem legs) all put on (sun)glasses to avoid the glare of the dragon's fire, ice skate across a frozen pond, swing on vines through a jungle, and so on. Befitting the quirky visual narrative, the letters are a surprising mix: L is for a "lost" poster with the cat's picture on it, R is for a restroom, T is for tired, and W for wave, as the characters bid one another adieu. There's humor in small details and large, as in the double-page spread in which the characters plummet off a cliff and the text screams: "Nnnnnnnn Oooooooo!" Thank goodness they deploy parachutes in the following spread, which requires readers to turn the book 90 degrees for its full effect. McDonnell's drawings use simple lines to generate action, and the background is a white expanse that keeps the focus on the colored line figures. A legend in the back identifies the specific words referenced by the letters. Give this book an F, yes, an F: for fun and funny. (Picture book. 4-7)

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

This (mostly) wordless book opens with the titular little red cat running out of his house toward an alligator with open jaws, and a chase begins. Here and on each page with a distinct, new alphabetical element that follows are printed only the upper- and lowercase initials of the relevant word: "Aa." A bear follows the alligator, followed by a chicken, then a dragon, and an egg, which issues from the startled chicken upon espying the dragon. Cat, alligator, bear, chicken, and egg (which has tiny, pipestem legs) all put on (sun)glasses to avoid the glare of the dragon's fire, ice skate across a frozen pond, swing on vines through a jungle, and so on. Befitting the quirky visual narrative, the letters are a surprising mix: L is for a "lost" poster with the cat's picture on it, R is for a restroom, T is for tired, and W for wave, as the characters bid one another adieu. There's humor in small details and large, as in the double-page spread in which the characters plummet off a cliff and the text screams: "Nnnnnnnn Oooooooo!" Thank goodness they deploy parachutes in the following spread, which requires readers to turn the book 90 degrees for its full effect. McDonnell's drawings use simple lines to generate action, and the background is a white expanse that keeps the focus on the colored line figures. A legend in the back identifies the specific words referenced by the letters. Give this book an F, yes, an F: for fun and funny. (Picture book. 4-7)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 1McDonnell's abecedarian tale takes a small scarlet cat on a breathtaking adventure. The clever talewordless except for two signs and one warning shoutbegins when the feline notices his home's front door standing open and takes to the hills. He almost immediately comes upon a gape-mouthed Alligator, a climbing Bear, and an agitated Chicken along with a couple of other pursuers of the D and E variety. A chase begins with the cat leading his entourage through a day filled with ice and snow, a jungle, mountain peaks, and a potentially hazardous tumble off a high cliff. Humorous pen, ink, pencil and watercolor illustrations surrounded by copious white space are energetic and highly engaging for readers. The large letters of the alphabet appear near the top of the page and feature both capital and lowercase forms. While most illustrations offer a clear-cut answer to what each letter represents in the sequence, there are a few pages that require some thought; an answer key can be found at the end of the book. VERDICT A brilliant caper that young learners will want to pore over! A must-purchase.Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

A little red cat meets up with an alligator, an encounter that sets this wordless--save for the upper- and lowercase letterforms--alphabet book into action. Expert, minimal, and gentle lines move the eye across each spread and to the next, an attention to forward motion that is equaled in the plot. Touches of wit and plenty of zip recommend this for lap-sit sharing.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This gloriously fun escapade from McDonnell follows the misadventures of the eponymous red cat, who dashes out the front door of his home, only to be set upon, almost instantly, by an alligator, bear, chicken, and dragon. The book is wordless, other than capital and lowercase letters that correspond to each new character or event, creating a guessing game for readers in the process. In one scene, the pursuers and pursued are slipping and sliding on a patch of ice for I; a page turn, and they-re swinging from vines in a jungle. A king and his daughter get involved, parachutes manifest after a tumble off a cliff (-Nnnnnnnn Oooooooo!-), and there-s even a bathroom break. It-s teeming with visual wit, and McDonnell-s cartoons illustrate the emotional dramas of the chase with telegraphic clarity. Ages 3-6. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. (Sept.)

ALA Booklist (Fri Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

A little red cat runs away from home and begins an alphabetical adventure in this (nearly!) wordless picture book. A is an alligator who joins the cat, B is a bear, C a chicken, and D a dragon. After that, the party continues on through different landscapes, and, ultimately, the red cat ends up home and catching some well-deserved z's. Because of its wordless nature, readers can make up their own stories while also hunting for what represents the letter on the page. Although some are obvious, in some illustrations, there may be multiple answers, providing a great opportunity for vocabulary building. (Answers appear at the end.) McDonnell uses a combination of simple lines and a plain background to keep the focus on the action. His is a distinctive style, but the simplicity doesn't take away from the humor, and each character remains distinctive and filled with expression. Best to be shared one-on-one, though the format could inspire young authors and illustrators to try their own journeys through the alphabet.