Puss & Boots by Ayano Imai (review)

In this adaptation of “Puss in Boots,” Puss uses his snazzy boots to drum up business for his down-and-out shoemaker owner with the shape-changing “monster” who lives in a nearby castle. Entranced by Puss’s fabulous footwear, the monster orders multiple pairs for himself, each one a different size and shape, so that he can be shod in style whatever his guise. When he refuses to pay, however, clever Puss instructs his master to construct a minuscule pair of boots, which Puss then offers to the monster with this caveat: “I doubt even you, with your great power, could change yourself into something so small. Why, you would have to be the size of say, well . . . a tiny mouse, for instance.” The indignant monster obligingly does just that and Puss wastes no time in gobbling him up (sans shoes, of course), allowing the shoemaker and Puss to then set up shop in the now vacant castle. The streamlined approach to the familiar plot keeps the action focused and quick, and it also places the gorgeous art front and center. A minimal palette of muted creams, browns, grays, and golds, contrasts pleasingly with eye-catching red and leafy green accents. Small details are very carefully rendered but edges are slightly blurred and softened, giving a dreamlike quality to the pictures. As in Imai’s version of Aesop’s Fables (BCCB 1/14), intriguing surreal touches add to the otherworldly tone, as tiny clouds “rain” into the monster’s teacup and flowers grow out of cracks in the floor. The streamlined narrative presentation makes this accessible to younger kids, while the sophistication of the art ensures that older ones will be equally enthralled.