August 1, 2023
A close family disagrees, survives minor disappointments, and rejoices, together. Narrator Mommy, who is pale-skinned; Daddy, brown-skinned; and children Rosie and Tulip, brown-skinned, love cats and books but have differing opinions on what cat to adopt. Daddy reasons that an older cat would have a known personality, whereas a kitten could be "bitey" or "scratchy." When Mommy votes "kitten" with the kids, Daddy, outnumbered, glowers. Mommy's "scientific method" of name-choosing, intended to head off further debate, is an utter failure. So is the foray to a now-closed shelter, leaving Tulip in tears. Mommy then takes a midwinter day off work for the mission, firmly instructed by Rosie not to return without their kitten, and by Tulip that it must be "Super small and very cute." Mommy dutifully trawls a distant shelter's kitten cages, then suddenly spots a cat in a cramped carrier, his eyes "curious and bright." Not a kitten, nor cute, nor an older cat, but "snuggly" and "smart." Purrfect. Returning through snow on the bus, Mommy names him "Blizzard." Everyone at home is thrilled, "even Daddy." Wintry but warm illustrations, realistic and slightly simplified, mute the nonessential and complement the text by foregrounding the family. Words and pictures together suggest character and convey wry family interactions and connections. A bonus: kitty endpapers. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A story as warm and amusing as a small, fuzzy feline. (Picture book. 5-8)
COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
October 15, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 For a family, getting a pet can be fraught with conflict. In this light look at one family's search for a kitten, the father is the big baby, pouting and fuming when his bid for an older cat is overruled. Mommy narrates (and, very subtly, rules) here. After a trip to the local library results in her two daughters finding a book on cats and deciding they must have one, the search, and the struggle, begin. Mommy takes just one other family member, the younger daughter, to an animal shelter ("less fighting that way" is Mommy's rationale), but the shelter, in a rundown house, is no longer operating. Next, Mommy goes by herself by bus, in a blizzard, to a shelter where an older cat, not the kitten everyone except the father wanted, steals her heart. Sepia-toned illustrations lend warmth to the story. The resolution, with the whole family falling in love with the cat, speaks to the adage that "you don't choose your pet; your pet chooses you."
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2023
"There are four people in our family. Rosie, Tulip, Daddy and me. I am Mommy." So begins this funny, heartwarming story of a feline-loving family in need of a cat. Mommy narrates the ensuing swirl of drama, evident in the lively illustrations, with dry humor and unflappable spirit. Rosie and Tulip want a kitten; Daddy thinks an older cat would be better. When he confidently defers to Mommy, he finds himself overruled. Selecting a name also requires shrewd diplomacy, brilliantly executed from the mother's perspective (Daddy is not in agreement with the choice). Throughout, she manages the conflicts by seeking strategies that will lead to "less fighting" and more "rejoicing." A soft, warm color palette sets the tone for the characters whose illustrated expressions and actions extend the story beyond the protagonist's point of view. After one unfortunate trip to a non-operational animal shelter that leaves everyone gloomy, Mommy sets off alone to visit another with clear instructions about what to bring home. There are many kittens, but she ends up with one that's nothing like what anyone expected: "He wasn't small. In fact, he was almost an older cat. And he wasn't very cute. He couldn't be our kitten." Mommy forges ahead anyway, and everyone, even Daddy, finds themselves rejoicing. Irresistible endpapers full of mischievous cats bookend the story. Julie Roach
(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)