Pamela Allen created a couple of the very favourite picture books of my early parenting years -- Who Sank the Boat? and Mr Archimedes Bath -- so it seemed a fair bet to buy one of her books for a relative who is currently in the early years of her life. Having stolen a read, I think it's a good choice: a cat chases a mouse, which runs into a jar; the cat gets its head caught in the jar and spends most of the book trying to shake the jar off and catch the mouse, filling page after page with its acrobatic contortions. It's far too repetitive for my taste, but I expect it will be a source of sustained joy for my great niece. ( )