School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Boris is a cat without a home. Mostly, he is content, but once in a while he wishes for a nice soft spot for a catnap. One day he finds a perfect cardboard box and makes himself comfortable. Unfortunately, the box is being sent to Lady Snootlethorpe, who is waiting for a teapot, not a cat. When she sees Boris, she sends him on, and the box ends up at the North Pole and many other places. Each time, no one wants a small hungry cat in need of a cozy place to sleep. Finally, Boris gets lucky. He is sent to a pleasantly surprised Grandma Flapjack, who isn't expecting a delivery but who has always wanted a cat, and he settles down for a little nap on "the world's most comfy pillow." The fun illustrations spill over the pages in imaginative and colorful collages of all sorts of materials and designs, creating a feast for the eyes. Children will love following Boris's adventures and picking out all the details of his trips.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Generally speaking, Boris is a happy, busy cat, who finds his homeless state copacetic. But after a day of scampering, balancing, and looking cute, Boris needs a catnap. He curls up in an abandoned cardboard box and inadvertently begins an international postal adventure. As his makeshift cushion is shipped around the world (and beyond), Boris meets a series of expectant recipients, each successively disappointed, until he is delivered to the doorstep of Grandma Flapjack. Exuberant mixed-media collages and broken text recall Lauren Child's work but possess their own goofy integrity. Grandma Flapjack's coif is shaped by photographic tangles of gray yarn, complete with knitting needles, and Boris' box shows the wear and tear of its multiple destinations, appearing increasingly beat-up and stamp-bedecked at every stop. Hodgkinson adeptly uses color and shadow, swinging from vivid pinks and greens to somber browns and grays in succession, evoking a roller coaster of moods; and as the story concludes, with Boris' new green velvet pillow, all is right with the world.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2008 Booklist