Author of the immensely popular Russell the Sheep series, Scotton turns his comic finesse this time to a cat. Kids will immediately identify with Splat, whom we first meet in bed with his frightened eyes resembling two huge saucers of milk. It may be morning but Splat is facing his worst nightmare: the first day of school. He takes along his pet mouse Seymour for comfort. Not only does Splat befriend every kid in his class, he even converts them to a mouse-free diet. Day two of school finds Splat once again in bed — but this time grinning whisker to whisker. Set off by an abundance of white space, the illustrations practically pop off the page, and each page is rich in detail. Peruse the titles on Splat's bookshelf and you'll see Dogs Are from Mars, Cats Are from Venus.