This and That

Ages 2-4
Brightly colored cut-paper collages and simple words tell a warm farmyard story with an ending that is both inevitable and surprising. Cat asks each of the animals in turn for something she needs. Horse lets her borrow his stable. Pig gladly gives her some straw. She collects feathers from Hen, wool from Sheep, tail hairs from Cow. Each time the animals ask Cat why she needs these things ("What do you want it for?" ), she purrs her answer, "This and that." When the farm animals follow her to find out what she's doing with all their stuff, they discover the nest she's made, and everyone helps her name her two newborn kittens, This and That. The pictures are lively, and even when preschoolers know the answer to the repeated question ("What do you want it for?" ), they will enjoy being in on the cozy secret.