Highway Cats (MG)

Lisle, Janet Taylor. 2008. Highway Cats. Penguin. 128 pages.

First there was fog, then a heavy spring rain.

At least it was short. And had pictures. I'm sure there must be some one out there that would be a perfect match for this imaginative animal story. Maybe that someone is you?

What is this one about? It's about wild cats, stray cats, living all on their own. In between the woods and a new development--a strip mall of some sort, I believe. There are several different characters--a blend of hard and soft--we're introduced to along the way. The focus on this one is on 'miracle' kittens who survive being tossed out on the side of the road and crossing four lanes of traffic. Every time the reader begins to fear the worst, that these kittens will be no more, another miracle happens. Anyway, this one is about how these kittens change those around them--the change they inspire in these older, supposedly tougher and wiser cats. The story is about the battle between the cats (good) and the humans (bad). Will the cats somewhat-natural home be protected against even more human progress?

It's not that this is a bad story. It's just that by the time I reached the end of it, I was more "so what?" than "wow!"

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews