Kirkus Review

What does a cat like best? Tea? Hunting mice? Even though cats are featured in two illustrations, the text doesn't really answer the title question. Perhaps this reflects the tricky task of translating books from one language to another while also creating a rhyming text. The author/illustrator is a now-deceased, award-winning Austrian children's writer and illustrator, and the work was first written and published in German. Young listeners will be introduced to a variety of generally familiar birds and animals, among them a rooster, ravens, swans, a polar bear, an elephant, and a lion, in their natural habitats. Each page focuses on a single animal that is described with a simple fact; each spread consists of a rhyming couplet that reads well. "The polar bear likes snow, not sun! / The hare eats cabbage by the ton." A few spreads compare and contrast. "The rooster cries out, 'Time to wake!' / The panda likes to take a break." It's calming, entertaining enough bedtime fare, if somewhat cryptic. Detailed illustrations in soft colors with few harsh lines echo the text. Publishes simultaneously with What Bear Likes Best and What Hedgehog Likes Best.(This book was reviewed digitally.) A pleasing, though slightly odd, book with a gentle rhythm well suited to getting kids to wind down for the night. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.