The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat

December 1, 1996
PreS-Gr 1-Short on plot and long on rhyming words, this series entry is another book of singsong verse that stretches to create a cohesive text. When a fat cat sits on a rat's mat, the rodent tries to convince the animal to move, but to no avail. He calls in his friends bat and hat to help, but it is only after Wilma the witch returns home that the cat moves from the mat. Karlin's illustrations show a golden plump feline just quietly waiting for a confrontation, a timid but determined rat, a somewhat determined bat (the animal variety), and a nondescript hat with two legs and two arms. Soft, gentle colors wash the characters in sunny shades but do not lessen the intensity of the personalities. Emerging readers may have some difficulty in predicting the less-than-logical story line, but the repeated sounds and rhyming words will reinforce their decoding skills. While there are many stronger easy-to-read texts by authors such as Lillian Hoban, Arnold Lobel, and James Marshall, this title is an acceptable offering for those libraries that never seem to have enough beginning readers.-Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, IA