Cats in Construction Hats (Cats in Hats #1)

As six cats—each a different color and sporting a hard hat—toil tirelessly at a worksite, snappy rhymes by Bardhan-Quallen (the Purrmaids series) and layered mixed-media images by Hernandez (the Mia Mayhem series) depict the felines as confident in their tasks: “Yellow cat./ Green hat./ Dig this./ Clear that.” But readers will quickly notice that the individuals don’t really collaborate—each kitty works alone. And that seems to suit everyone just fine, until some concrete columns break loose, wiping out the individuals’ progress. Now, it’s time to “work together”: spreads show the cats forming teams and welcoming help from some equally competent rats to repair the damage and finish the job. The result? An elaborate, mansion-like cat tree, launched via a fancy-dress party. Collaboration stories often depict individuals as hapless until they form a team. These pages supply a fresh twist that spotlights strengths individual and communal, while offering cat and construction aficionados plenty to savor. Ages 3–7. Agent (for author and illustrator): Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (Apr.)