I recently got a review copy of a children's book called Splat the Cat, by Rob Scotton, the author and illustrator of the endearing Russell the Sheep. It's the story of a cat with first-day-of-school jitters. He decides to sneak his pet mouse Seymour into school via his lunchbox. During the day, after learning from his teacher that cats are "cunning and quick", Splat lets Seymour out of the lunchbox. Hijinx ensue, and Seymour ends up teaching the cats some unexpected things about mice. Splat, meanwhile gains the confidence to start looking forward to going to school.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Russell the Sheep, though my four year-old girls seemed to like it a lot. The illustrations are delightful and creative, but I thought the story was a little lacking. I know, that sounds a little harsh to say about a children's book, but I've read it twice and had the same reaction. However, as I mentioned, my kids really liked the book and paid attention to every page.
So if you're a fan of Russell the Sheep, give Splat the Cat a try.