Slinky Malinki, Open the Door

When Slinky Malinki and Stickybeak Sid are left in the house on their own, they cause absolute mayhem by opening all the carefully shut doors in the house – a leave a trail of destruction from bathroom to bedroom to kitchen. But then Slinky Malinki opens the final door and comes face to face with his old adversary – Hairy Maclary!

Review

“Perhaps he is a distant relative of the Cat in the Hat. For Slinky Malinki, a svelte black cat with luminous yellow eyes, is a master of mischief. Egged on by his partner in crime, the parrot Stickybeak Syd, Slinky Malinki storms through the house, leaving havoc in his wake. The sometimes tongue-twisting rhymes are infused with the energy of the dynamic duo’s “shemozzle.” The repetition of “Slinky Malinki/jumped high off the floor, /he swung on a handle/and opened/a door” heightens the anticipation of each set of upcoming shenanigans. The uncluttered illustrations highlight such delights as the parrot skating on a bar of soap while the cat swings from the bath towels. The best surprise of all, however, is at the book’s end, when Slinky Malinki opens the door to discover—six dogs! 2001 (orig. 1993), “ Reviewer: Stephanie Farrow, Children’s Li­terature.