ADVANCED FRENCH FOR EXCEPTIONAL CATS <i> By Henri de la Barbe (Henry Beard) (Villard: $12) </i>

Zut alors! Encore!

One is reminded of the story about Colette: Visiting New York and feeling somewhat culturally estranged, she was relieved when she saw a kitty: “Ah, someone who speaks French!” she is reported to have said.

Cats and French, advanced French. It can only be about refinement, Le Raffinement: “Le brocart en soie est la surface ideale pour le somme” (“Silk brocade is the ideal nap surface”); or La Gastronomie: “Les flagues ont un arome agreable de fleurs et des nuances grasses de terre et de chene.” (“Puddles have a pleasant floral aroma and rich, earthy, almost oaky, undertones.”) Or Le Philosophe Feline: “Ai-je attrape cette souris ou est-ce que c’est moi qui suis en fait pris au piege de l’obligation de ma propre nature?” (“Have I caught this mouse, or is it not in fact I who am trapped by the obligations of my own nature?”).

The perfect gift for Socks Clinton, our First Cat-elect.