Lap Cat

Lap Cat seeks “the perfect lap” in Cull’s quirky, medieval-meets-modern telling. An opening panel illuminated with manuscript-style florals notes that it’s day 222 of Lap Cat’s “journey—nay, quest,” while the facing page shows the feline venturing along a forested trail in a Robin Hood–esque hat, chanting “Lap.” The feline’s trek brings about encounters with numerous creatures—a squirrel with a bucket, a cat diner server, a dolphin fond of sand castles, and more. During each meeting, the cat’s single-mindedness proves accidentally harmful (about a joke store’s broken door, “Lap Cat is so focused on finding the perfect lap that they do not even realize they’ve cracked the glass”). Arriving at an establishment called “Lap Mart” (“A glorious sight! A superstore of laps!”), the protagonist rejoices until the shop owner alerts the feline to their previous destructiveness. The duo sets off to make amends, and eventually Lap Cat finds a way to a happy ending. Flattened and blocky, candy-colored drawings have a contemporary style that keeps the offbeat tale’s twists and turns moving. Ages 5–8. (Oct.)