Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids List "Catside up , / catside down ," proclaims the first page in bold black lettering. At the top right of the stark white page, a sweet-looking tannish cat smiles above the rim of a blue basket. There is no mistaking the fact that the black cat in the lower left is "catside down ." Across the gutter, there's a bright pink "cat on a turntable, spinning around "--and again, quirky, masterful details in the art. On every page, prepositions are shown in boldface. The humorous text includes sophisticated vocabulary, with words such as configure and astraddle . The image of a feline pair with limbs linked (for "cats akimbo ") is particularly funny, as is the cat matryoshka doll. The visuals are witty and whimsical but also spot-on in their portrayals of typical cat behavior--right through to the final, purrfect catnap.

"-- Kirkus , starred review.