A little bluebird goes hopping, skipping, jumping and flying along in this sing-song picture-book from author Edna Mitchell Preston and illustrator Barbara Cooney, a hungry cat following behind him at every stage. Although the feline keeps trying to overtake his prey, his pounces inevitably come just a bit too late, and he finds that he cannot take to the air in pursuit. Hungry and sad, he heads home, and the final illustration shows him being fed...

Much as with Preston's Pop Corn and Ma Goodness, the text of The Sad Story of the Little Bluebird and the Hungry Cat has a pleasing rhythm, rhyme scheme and repetitive structure, making it a good candidate for reading aloud. I appreciated the fact that the bluebird escaped at the end, but wasn't sure how I felt about the conclusion, in which the cat returns to his home, where he is clearly well-fed. The book was published in 1975, when there was less of an emphasis on keeping cats indoors, but the story here certainly emphasizes the potential danger that domesticated cats pose for songbirds. Leaving that aside, the accompanying artwork from Cooney here was appealing, although I wouldn't say it was as good as some of her better-known books. Recommended to picture-book readers who enjoy rhythmic tales, and to Barbara Cooney fans. ( )