In a droll, gorgeously illustrated story, a pampered indoor cat is manipulated into a dangerous jungle adventure by a never-seen narrator who bears a striking--though invisible--resemblance to every Machiavellian older sibling ever.
Oh, Poopsie--don't do it! Like so many protagonists before her, our heroine is provoked into perilous situations to defend--or create--her reputation as a swashbuckler. The narrator of Poopsie Gets Lost starts with a nudge to the fluffy, pink-ribboned cat's ego, after watching her sit in her sumptuously appointed house, licking a paw, rubbing an ear, licking another paw. "This is sooo boring!... Tell me, Poopsie--are you a snoozy house cat or are you a daring adventurer?" Lured into the jungle, Poopsie is egged on by her provocateur to "hippety-hop" across the river "rocks" (crocodiles) and to "boop" the "sleeping pussycats" (tigers) on the nose. But, finally, enough is enough, and a waterfall-soaked Poopsie finds her inner beast, fighting back against both the wild animals and the guileful narrator.
Hannah E. Harrison (Extraordinary Jane), using gouache on mixed-media vellum, has made the most of her jungle backdrops, filling them with lush greenery and other brilliantly hued flora and fauna. Poopsie never utters a word, but her adorable face says it all, whether she's striking a brave pose, escaping venomous snakes or seething with rage. Young readers are in on the cunningness of the narrator ("Ah! A slightly pungent and murky river--how picturesque!") and will likely be rooting for the besieged kitty all the way. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor