Mimi's Dada Catifesto

Oh dear goodness, this book makes me wish that I knew a bunch of kids who were (a) not too old for picture books and (b) old enough to understand Dadaism. I'm not sure if those are mutually exclusive qualities, but Mimi's Dada Catifesto is an absolutely stunning tribute to this particular art form.

Mimi is a cat living in a top hat (with two cockroaches that live in the brim). She has a pigeon for a friend, and one night, she sees a Dadaist artist and knows she's finally found her human. She tries to show him that she is a kindred spirit in his dadaist movement but he doesn't always realize hairballs left on his doorstep are works of art. The little details are what make this book a true gem. Seriously. The newspaper whiskers might be the best thing ever. ( )

I find this book to be hilarious, and would love to have it in my classroom. Mimi is quite the character, and the imagery calls upon dada art of the past, while still staying current and entertaining. There are many lessons to be learned from this book, such as acceptence of eachothers' creative nature and differences.