Each left-hand page, or "parent's text," tells of a girl who receives ten different colored cats for her birthday; the facing page's simple "child's text" completes the sentences. The "shared reading" concept has potential, but this story--with its garish cartoony images and its misguided attempt to teach kids how to read, count, and distinguish colors at once--is a mess.

K-Gr 1-The gimmicky concept behind this book is that adults read one page of text, while children read a few words or phrases on the following page. The insipid story begins with pajama-clad Suzu hoping that she'll receive a white cat for her birthday. When she goes to bed, she finds the feline that she has been wanting. Then, a black cat crawls out from under her bed, and then a red one appears. More cats continue to show up until there are 10 in all, and she finally discovers that it was just a dream. Nothing in this unoriginal story with its amateurish cartoon illustrations will motivate young readers to want to read.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.