What Will Fat Cat Sit On?

Sometimes the right book comes at exactly the right time. "What Will Fat Cat Sit On?" was that book for me. The Book Fair rep and I had just finished setting up and I was tired and grumpy. At that very moment I found Fat Cat. Being a cat lover, I immediately grabbed, opened, and read. "What will Fat Cat sit on?" is the thriller extraordinaire! Jan Thomas lets the reader know early in the story what the crime will be. Fat Cat will sit on something! Even the characters in the story know this crime will take place. But where? When? And, oh, how can I receive protection? There's foreshadowing on the half-title page: a mouse running, in the throes of fear. The edges of huge toes step into the picture. Fat Cat. Oh, run, little mouse! Mouse stops, puts his hands on his hips, as if to say, Why am I running? More of the toes appear. Take no chance, Little Mouse! Run! A big, booming question splatters across the pages like blood: What will Fat Cat sit on? The cast of characters is small. The ending is totally unexpected. The excitement is high. And the thrill of the chase...to tell more would be creating spoilers. Artwork is fairly simple but very expressive. Thomas uses an clashing array of colors to suggest the horrors of being sat upon. Facial reactions are priceless! I read the book and laughed out loud at every page. The Book Fair rep said, I don't know why people think that book is funny. I laughed even harder because it so is funny! A book for all ages. I can't wait to read this to my three- and four-year-olds in the library. The droll humor is not for everyone, but it will appeal to children and those whose childish spirit still lives. Very highly recommended.

Every reviewer I know of lives by a set of self-imposed rules and regulations regarding the books they choose to willingly review of their own free will. My rules include the following stipulation: "The Reviewer will make a sincere effort to review any title that causes her to do a dramatic spit-take after reading the first page of a book. This may also apply after the far rarer event of snorting milk out the nose." "What Will Fat Cat Sit On?" falls squarely into the latter category. I have not enjoyed a picture book this much since... well, I suppose since the last Mo Willems title hit bookstore shelves. Author/illustrator Jan Thomas certainly hits it out of the park with this funny, not to say supremely goofy, picture book title. Systematically, a narrator asks a couple questions. For example: Will Fat Cat sit on the cow? As we're asked this, a gleeful feline gives a mildly panicked cow the eye. The cow, however, is assured that the Fat Cat will not sit on him (response: "Yee-haw!"). So will the Fat Cat sit on the chicken instead? In a bout of panic the chicken tries to distract us and suggest the pig. Fortunately neither will be sat on today (though if I were the pig I'd be harboring some pretty nasty thoughts towards that two-timing fowl). Other animals are threatened with the Cat's rump, until a mouse brings up the loony idea of the cat maybe trying a big comfy chair. Problem solved, all the animals give a sigh of relief. That is, until the narrator asks, "NOW, what will Fat Cat . . . have for LUNCH?" Exit cast of characters in a blind panic, stage left. The plot may not sound like much on the outset, but this book is a born readaloud. Here are the first four pages, "Will Fat Cat sit on . . . the COW? Moo? NO! Fat Cat will not sit on the COW! Yee-haw!" Okay, now put the right amount of emphasis on each one of those words and then couple that with the pictures. If done correctly, this is hilarious. Nor does it hurt matters any that the pictures have a kind of thick-lined, madcap giddiness to them. It's Fat Cat's name in the title, and there's a reason for that. Whenever the book speculates on exactly which animal Fat Cat might plant his fanny on, the picture of our hero(?) just cracks me up. Take a look at the cover and you'll get a sense of what I mean. There he is, grinning wildly, an insane glint in his furry little eyes as he anticipates squashing someone beneath his magnificently huge posterior. The fact that cows and pigs are desperately afraid of Fat Cat is funny in and of itself, and you just have to love the book's timing. I don't normally do this, but check out the Library of Congress plot summary placed on the publication page of this book. "A group of animals is terrified at the prospect of being sat upon by the imposing Fat Cat, until the mouse comes up with a solution that satisfies everyone." One day I am going to meet the person who writes these LIC summaries and I will discover the creator of

Reviewed by Three Silly Chicks - Readers, Writers, and Reviewers of funny books for kids. There have been many deep and philosophical questions asked in literature. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? But we think the question Jan Thomas poses tops them all. What, Dear Readers, will Fat Cat sit on? It is most definitely a question worth pondering. Will Fat Cat sit on the cow? The pig? Certainly not the chicken! (If that had happened we would not be reviewing this book--no siree!) Finally the wise mouse comes up with a solution that pleases everyone. In this rollicking book, the reader gets in on the fun as the narrator asks what Fat Cat will sit on with every spread. Each animal is hoping it's someone else, and their witty asides make this book a pleasure to read out loud. We think it's perfect for threes and fours, but older kids (and adults!) will also love the irreverent humor. Simple, whimsical illustrations complete this perfect package. This is Jan Thomas's first book. We can't wait to see what's next!

The book has wonderful illustrations and a simple, humorous story that young readers and their parents will enjoy!

This is such a charming book that I found myself smiling from beginning to end. The illustrations of the animal characters are full of humor and whimsy. Thomas is particularly brilliant at drawing facial expressions on these wonderful animal characters. Toddlers love the repetitive "NOs" they can shout out, and very early readers find the simple words easy to manage. Aduts will delight in their children's responses and in their own pleasure at reading this handsome book.