Hello, friends! Our book today is the silly and simple I Am A Cat by Galia Bernstein, a delightful tale of what makes us different and what makes us the same.

A smallish, tubby gray housecat meets with a group of big cats (consisting of a lion, a cheetah, a puma, a panther, and a tiger), and introduces himself as one of their own. The five beasts stare a moment, then break into uproarious laughter. They all insist that the little tabby can’t be a cat for various reasons: Lion claims that he must have a mane, Cheetah notes his lack of sleekness and speed, Panther says he must come from the jungle, and so on. But Cat points out a flaw in this logic – none of them share these traits, so how does that prove that they are all cats? The big cats explain that while they may have many differences, some things are the same, such as their rounded, perky ears and long whiskers and claws. Cat shows them that he has these things as well, just smaller. And after a moment’s consideration, the big cats realize their mistake. “You’re a cat!” they proclaim, and everyone spends the day pouncing, pawing and, of course, napping together.

Cheerful and marvelously fun. Any child who is a fan of cats – big or small – will love the way the story connects housecats to their larger and more wild brethren. There’s also a nice, subtle lesson to be learned in looking for the things that unite, rather than divide, us from others. The illustrations are adorable, realistic enough to show the natural similarities in the cats yet cartoonish enough to make them cuddly and non-threatening. The length was good and JJ enjoyed it, so we can definitely call this one Baby Bookworm approved!