Rohde constructs a vibrant exploration of place beginning with a simple question and answer: "Where is the cat? Under the wobbly table." The wobbly table sits on the blue rug, and the blue rug is in the yellow room. The black cat makes its way out of the yellow room and past the green door into the colorful apartment. But the book continues: "Where is the colorful apartment? In the pink house." Beyond that colorful apartment in the pink house, the cat and its people make their way into the cheerful street filled with a diverse array of children and grownups. The (color-coded) text proceeds in the initial Q&A format as the story zooms out -- into the continent, the planet, the galaxy -- but not without some appropriately feline mischief. Rohde's background in architecture is reflected in the eye-catching, color-blocked, and decidedly two-dimensional cityscapes. This engaging read-aloud opens the door for a number of classroom opportunities -- adjectives, prepositions, mapmaking! -- but its real power lies in stimulating a child's wonder and awe at the ever-expanding universe that surrounds us.

PreS-Gr 2 This cleverly designed book uses a black cat as the centerpiece of where one is in relation to the world at large. The cat begins under the wobbly table and the illustrations pan outward from there: the neighborhood, the city, the country, the continent, and eventually out to the universe. Locating the black cat amid the rainbow-colored pictures is half the fun. One page features a question such as, "Where is the crowded city?" and opposite is the answer, "In the big country." The format, of no more than one question or sentence to a spread, allows for quick, effective reading and thinking. Characters shown are of varying ages and skin tones. The author's note explains that the story started with her son's writing assignment during the pandemic lockdown. VERDICT For an age-appropriate lesson for educators and parents who want to provide children with perspective about their place in the world, this book is close to ideal.Tracy Cronce