Wednesday, March 14, 6PM: Rob Scotton

Splat wants to make the best gift ever for his mom and dad. But so do his brother and sister! Is Splat up for the challenge?

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Fans of Scotton's Russell the Sheep will immediately recognize the offbeat humor in Splat the Cat. The fuzzy black feline is worried about his first day of school, and despite determined attempts to avoid the inevitable, he ends up there. School is a combination of fantastic revelations and baffling mysteries. Most puzzling of all for Splat is the news that cats chase mice. He does not chase mice. In fact, he has a pet mouse whom he has packed in his lunchbox because he wants a friend with him on his first day. The sight of the mouse causes chaos, but proves fortuitous when Seymour saves the day by crawling through a small hole to unlock the milk pantry. Cheered by the fact that school is, in fact, wonderful, Splat excitedly returns on the second day. This lighthearted story, told with a generous helping of humor and goofy characterizations, will have broad appeal. The backgrounds are full of great details, like the fish-bone wallpaper in Splat's room and one of his classmates clutching a Russell the Sheep doll. There is something new to find with each reading. The use of monochrome in the illustrations, with a touch of color here and there, emphasizes the idea of school as a place of uniformity where fresh ideas are allowed to break through. Splat is a welcome addition to the first-day-jitters canon and a fun book to read any time of year.

From Booklist:

PreS-Gr. 2. In this sequel to Russell the Sheep (2005), the sheep in the long, knitted nightcap happens upon a treasure map. After inventing an odd, mechanical treasure-seeking device, he searches high, low, in, out, over, under, left, and right before discovering a treasure chest filled with a disappointing lode of apparent junk. But the old camera he finds inspires him to snap pictures of his relatives and friends, and the photo album he creates becomes his unexpected fortune. The artwork features dynamic paintings of Russell and the other denizens of Frogsbottom engaged in bits of comic byplay, and the muted colors darken as night falls, adding a classic bedtime-book look. Instantly recognizable, and lovable in his wholehearted approach to whatever he undertakes, Russell is childlike in the best sense. Children will enjoy his exaggerated antics and expressions, as well as the final affirmation that his album of family and friends is the "best treasure ever."