What a Small Cat Needs

Conjuring a wee feline with “Two small eyes./ Two small ears./ A mouth, full of small pointy teeth,” and more, Shaloshvili (Bear) deftly kicks off a tenderly wrought picture book meditation on the power of unconditional love. The work’s unnamed kitten protagonist is a smudgy gray and black creation who sports scraggly whiskers and two round blue eyes. Self-sufficient but always a little tentative, the feline navigates a world that often feels stormy and unsettled as she fishes from a pier with a line off her tail, drinks milk from a teacup held in her front paws, and otherwise attempts to meet her needs (“She needs rain to get soaked in.// And a roof to hide under from the rain”). A flock of seagull-like birds tags along, but these observers provide more witness than interaction. Finally, a door opens and a pale-skinned child with “a big heart and warm hands” welcomes the kitty inside for a cuddle. Now, the kitten’s wide eyes close in sweet contentment, enjoying what many a cat—and many a human, too—really longs for: emotional and physical attunement, and someone to occasionally “gently ruffle” their coat. It’s a truth so simple it purrs. Ages 3–6. (Jan.)