A hilariously interactive picture book that is sure to have kids meowing, stretching, and napping--but mostly laughing out loud, and begging for multiple readings.

The author of Cat Secrets, Jef Czakai, is also the illustrator and had a cartoon (Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters) running in Nickelodeon Magazine for more than 10 years. Czakai’s experience in children’s humor is evident throughout Cat Secrets. The book begins with a cat looking out at readers and speaking directly to them, insisting that unless they can prove they are a cat, they should not read any further. This second-person narration style is a hard one to capture; however, when well done, results in readers feeling very involved personally in the book. For example, the cat characters first ask the readers to prove that they are cats by meowing. Two pages show the cats listening and reacting, giving your little one plenty of time to actually give their most convincing meow. Readers are also asked to purr and stretch like kitties. The book ends with the cats demanding readers prove they are kitties by napping like a kitty, but while they are waiting several pages for you to fall asleep, they actually fall asleep! They are cats, after all.

The book contains humor young children will recognize and enjoy. They may also notice the mouse appearing on most pages silently trying to steal the cat’s book of secrets while the cats are occupied with trying to tell if the reader really is a cat or not. If your little one tires of acting out the cat ‘tests’, you can make a game out of guessing what the cat secrets would be; they won’t be wrong, since we never actually find out. What sort of secrets does your little one think dogs or other animals keep? Does your little one know any secrets they want to share? Can you think of a fun ‘secret’ to share with your little one?