A picture book designed to look like a more advanced book, this particular Golden Book is perfect for kids just starting to read.

Ralph is an adorable black and white spotted cat looking for somewhere cozy to take a nap. After several failed attempts at napping the cat finds just the right spot on top of a bald man's head! The story is simple and easy to follow, so that the reader can just focus on understanding the words on each page. The text itself is large and bold; there is also only no more than one sentence on each page. The sentences are short and simple, but they cleverly advance the story.

The illustrations are water color paintings in which color is hinted at, but not entirely filled in in some places, like the ground or a park path. In this way the paintings are not taking too much attention away from the text; if they were even more colorful and detailed the reader would spend more time examining them instead of trying to read the words of the story. With large text, a repetitive, happy story, and fanciful watercolor illustrations this easy reader is a great stepping stone for early readers working towards more advanced chapter books. ( )