What Will Fat Cat Sit On?

What Will Fat Cat Sit On?written and illustrated by Jan Thomas. 2007. New York: Harcourt Books. 40 pages. Good for groups.

Media: digital illustration

Author/Illustrator Website: http://www.janthomasbooks.com

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: Ages 18 months and up

Annotation: Fat Cat needs something to sit on- will it be the Mouse, the Dog or the Cow?

Personal Response:Jan Thomas’s simple and silly story of a group of animals who are terrified of being sat on by Fat Cat makes an excellent read aloud for young children. The animals are ruled out one by one (to their great relief), and ultimately Mouse suggests that Fat Cat sit on the chair. As Fat Cat contentedly rests on a fluffy, flowered armchair, he is left to ponder what he will have for lunch. Thomas uses bright colors and thick, dark outlines to illustrate her characters, and the illustrations on the front and back covers, as well as the endpapers, are an integral part the story. Her text is spare, simple and direct- making this book a good choice for young audiences, as well as beginning readers.