Published by Orchard Books
Summary: Monkey claims to have a cat inside his box, but the cat will disappear as soon as the box is opened. Cake is skeptical, until Monkey tells him he can use his own imagination to decide what the box’s contents are. Cake decides there’s a disappearing dinosaur inside. The two friends conclude that they will never know the answer for sure, and go off for a piece of pie. The penultimate page shows a cat peeking out of the box, and on the last page, he’s riding off on the back of a big green dinosaur. Includes some questions on the final endpaper like “Do you believe in things you can’t see?” and concludes, “Read. Laugh. Think.” 48 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: Another early reader series derivative of Elephant and Piggie, with two friends conversing in different colored cartoon bubbles. The storyline, which includes a nod to Schrodinger’s cat, could provoke some interesting discussions.
Cons: Should a slice of cake be eating a piece of pie?
