As in his much-loved Zoom series of picture books, Tim Wynne-Jones’s newest, Pounce de Leon, features a cat in the role of explorer-hero. Drawing on the self-contained and introspective “personality” often ascribed to cats, Wynne-Jones positions his feline protagonists as sentient explorers within their worlds, giving them a peculiar depth of characterization.

Pounce moves in with Florida Brown, a lonely older woman in desperate need of companionship and invigoration. In order to restore his adopted owner’s vitality, he decides to seek out the fountain of youth depicted in a photograph hanging over her mantel. It’s not a typical set-up for a kids’ story, but it works – through the manipulation of tone and perspective, Wynne-Jones creates a strongly defined world. As a secondary benefit, the story references the actual explorations of Juan Ponce de Leon, best known for his legendary quest to find the mystical fountain of youth.

The story’s only fault lies in its brevity. While Wynne-Jones’s economy of language and ability to suggest larger worlds are his greatest skills, you can’t help but wish that Pounce’s quest had a few more twists. Mexican artist and illustrator Alfredo Tapia’s dark and impressionistic pictures communicate Florida Brown’s move from a dark and isolated world to one more animated, but the story leaves readers wanting to see a little more.