Lovely Old Roly. Written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. (Frances Lincoln, 10.99).
This is a story with an easy way about it. The words are well-crafted, and they roll off the tongue. The 'voices' of the story, which set the tone, are those of two children whose beloved cat has died. However, the brother and sister soon get to know a new cat that barges in through their cat flap uninvited. Mum and Dad's reaction to having a new cat is encapsulated in the repeated phrase: 'And it was maybe, all right, a little - but outside. Not inside.' This cleverly sums up many carers' reaction to a request for something that children want, but that they themselves don't want. However, the whole family is quickly won over by the endearing new cat, although the two children don't forget their first feline friend. The watercolour illustrations portray the ordinariness of everyday life, both inside and out.
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