The Cat on the Mat is Flat, written by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton - review

Oh, baby. As the mother of a first grader, let me tell you how happy I am to see this book. It's a first reader that's actually entertaining and funny. Cats get hit by baseball bats. Bees menace children. There are accidents involving both superglue and cactus. THANK YOU. I can hear my son giggle as he pushes his way through page after page. Learning to read is hard - you've just got to make it worth the effort, and not a lot of books do.

The pen-and-ink Krazy Kat-like illustrations hit just the right slapstick note, without looking slapdash.

Actual cats, however, are apparently not impressed with this book.