The Crayon Stub and Please Look After This Cat

Cutler, Marcus. The Crayon Stub

May 6, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
 

Big Cat is inspired to create a fantastic work of art, especially since he has a brand new box of crayons, but when he goes to draw, all that is left is the stub of a red crayon. This is a tragedy! How will he ever achieve greatness? Trailed by by Little Cat (who doesn't speak), he has idea after idea, but nothing will work for his grand project. Just when he has some inspirtion, Little Cat runs off with the crayon. Not only that, but he eats it! Ingesting it is not a great idea, and before long, Little Cat has a "technicolor yawn" all over a piece of paper. Now Big Cat has no chances to be creative... or does he. Using the paper, he creates a self portrait of the two, complete with hearts.

Oh, the thrill of a new box of crayons, and the disappointment when they are damaged! Young readers will empathize with Big Cat's desire to do something fantastic, and his annoyance at Little Cat getting in his way. While I can just envision the parents' reaction to being presented with a cat yak magnum opus ("You want me to hang this... on the refrigerator? Near FOOD?"), this is a giggle worthy inclusion, and much more interesting that the drawings of dinosaurs and volcanos.

The digitally created drawings are reminiscent of Carle's tissue paper collage style, but there are some crayoned creations as well. The shapes are bold and simple, and the expressions on the cats' faces are amusing. The hand lettered style font is clear and crisp, and there's just enough text on each page to make this a quick read aloud.

This would make a great gift for an older sibling along with books about drawing and the creative process like Art’s Supplies by Tougas or I Am An Artist by Altés. Of course, a fresh new box of crayons never hurts, or an activity like Smit's The Kids' Book of Craft Love, which is meant to be cut up. That would be a book that Big Cat would definitely want to keep away from Little Cat!

Antczak, Kasia and Fryza, Kasia (illustrator)

Please Look After This Cat: A Guide to Taking Care of Me

October 7, 2025 by Post Wave

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Dot the cat wants readers to know all about taking care of their feline friends, and guides readers through what cats' needs are. Starting with an introduction about how the book is set up, Dot proceeds to offer a page from the cat's perspective, with information for humans on the facing page. Topics include not only what to feed cats, but how to present the food, as well as the importance of running water. I didn't know that cats preferred water this way, since their ancestors knew that still water could have germs! Cats also need fresh air, litter boxes, and in some instances, walks, and there are great details about how to best handle all of these situations. Pages also include information about grooming cats, what to do if one isn't feeling well, how to handle more than one cat, and how to provide high perches for cats to use. The last set of pages addresses the needs of older cats, which includes more frequent visits to the vet, more rest, and of course, more quality time with their humans!

Starting with bright end papers illustrated by four-year-old Wiki, the pictures are informative and amusing. There are interesting color combinations, like yellow, green, and purple, and the small insets under "How You Can Help" offer a lot of detail. The use of shapes to highlight information is helpful, and the black lines make things nice and clear. The main text is large enough and short enough for reading aloud, and more detailed information is set in a smaller font. 

Being able to look after a pet independently is often an expectation parents want met before a pet is adopted, but there are few picture books that delineate exactly what needs to be done. As a dog person, I certainly learned a lot about the different needs that cats have, and gained some insight into their personalities as well. Pair this with Sekaninova and Wolf's Cats Are Great BUT (It's Great to Have a Pet) for all the details about how to welcome a cat to your household.