Elemenopeo was a cat who liked his daily routine, from his mornings playing in the garden, to his afternoons spent napping, and dreaming of flight. When his convenient cat door is closed for repairs, however, and he finds himself confined to the house, he looks elsewhere for entertainment, and, happening upon an easel and a box of paints, decides to paint his own portrait...

I don't know, all told, that this made as much of an impression upon me, as upon the friend who recommended it, but Elemenopeo - just say "L M N O P O," the narrators intones - was still an engaging tale, with an appealing feline hero. Sometimes I have a little trouble with the way animals are anthropmorphized in such stories (see Anne Mortimer's Pumpkin Cat for an example), particularly when realistic and unrealistic behavior for animals are blended together, but the dream with a winged Elemenopeo, early on in the story, made this enough of a fantasy that I was willing to give it a pass. The artwork was colorful and sweet (although Elemenopeo's smile was a little creepy, I think), and will undoubtedly keep young reader/listeners' attention.

Although not wildly enthusiastic about it, this is engaging enough that I would still recommend it, particularly to young cat lovers, and to children who dream of becoming artists. ( )