The Best Cat Book

The family pet is so much more than that in this warm and funny book for little animal lovers with imaginative minds.

When Bootsy plays with a ball of yarn, Jeff sees a clown — the best clown in the world! And when Bootsy dances, Jeff sees a ballerina — the best ballerina in the world! Jeff’s big sister, Ginny, disagrees. "Bootsy is just a regular cat," she insists. But Ginny and Jeff can agree on one thing: Bootsy is the best cat in the world! Valeri Gorbachev’s charming illustrations capture the central role that a beloved pet plays in the life of a child.

Children's Literature

What makes a cat "the best cat in the world?" Everyone in this family has a different idea. To Grandmother, Bootsy is "the best clown in the world." Father calls her a football star as she catches a slipper. Mother visualizes Bootsy as a dancing ballerina; Grandfather sees her at the fish tank as the best fisherman. At each suggestion, Jeff agrees that Bootsy is the best. But then his sister Ginny explains why she cannot be. It is Ginny who finally states what they both can accept: "Bootsy is just a regular cat...But Bootsy is the best cat in the world." The very simple story gives Gorbachev space to set a domestic story in a family living room. But when each family member gives an opinion, this is followed by visualization of Bootsy's imaginary exploits and eventual failure. Sketchy ink lines enhanced with naturalistic watercolors create lively children, believable adults, a charming cat, and scenes of tongue-in-cheek humor in vignettes, and on single, and double pages. For example, when Bootsy dances with Ginny, Jeff imagines her in ballet slippers and tutu, receiving bouquets in front of a line of dancers. But Ginny notes that Bootsy would not like wearing a tutu, and we see her fleeing from the row of practicing ballet students. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz