Christmas for a Kitten [Paperback]

Robin Pulver (Author), Layne Johnson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2003 | Grade Level: K and up

It's winter, and a lonely abandoned kitten is trying to survive in the woods. Each night, as he hunts for food, the warm glow of houses fills him with longing. While a family carries in its Christmas tree, the kitten slips into their house.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-When a kitten is snatched from his mother and dumped by the side of the road in the country, he climbs into the trunk of a car whose owners are bringing a tree home on Christmas Eve. The kitten stays hidden until Santa arrives by chimney; he is alarmed (remembering the man with a sack who took him from his mother), but Santa scoops the little creature up and takes him home with him. The text is serviceable but the strength of this book lies in its rich oil paintings, which depict the fuzzy orange feline and its surroundings realistically and from a variety of unusual and exciting perspectives. Warm and cozy, but not a necessary purchase.-E. M.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This satisfying holiday story begins in a barn, where a kitten lies with its mother. Suddenly a gloved hand tosses the kitten into the woods with the words, "too many cats." The kitten must survive on its own. It is attracted to a house, and it gets inside. Santa's milk and cookies are a treat; then the cat knocks down some ornaments and climbs the tree. It's not until Santa arrives that the kitty is rescued and gets a new lease on life as the Jolly Old Elf's "Christmas Cookie." Most of the action is predictable (though some children may expect the family to adopt the cat), but the tale is so warm and the art so sweet that the book will immediately put everyone in a holiday mood. Johnson uses plenty of winter whites and midnight blues and candle-lit backgrounds to frame the escapades of this adorable kitten, which pads through a story with a realistic beginning and a fairy-tale end. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807511544
• ISBN-13: 978-0807511541
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 10.6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,312,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DELIGHTFUL AND SURPRISING, December 31, 2003

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas for a Kitten (Hardcover)

Few animal stories are more appealing to young readers than those featuring an irresistible kitten - mix in Christmas, and you have a sure winner.

Artist Layne Johnson, the owner of two cats, brings drama and warmth to his lovely full-page paintings which begin with the birth of a kitten in barn. He's safe there with his mother until a cruel person, evidently the barn owner, decides there are too many cats and stuffs the kitten into a sack. After a short but very frightening ride the kitten is literally thrown away.

Fortunately, he remembers what his mother taught him about hunting, and he is able to fend for himself in the woods. Eventually, on a very cold winter day people come to the hillside where he hides. They are cutting down a tree; he doesn't understand why. But when he sees the trunk of their car open, it looks like a warm place to him and he jumps in.

Once the people reach their home the kitten jumps out of the reopened trunk and is able to skitter into the house. What wonders he sees! It's Christmas Eve and there are many beautiful decorations as well as a glass of milk by the fireplace.

But, the house is also home to a cat-hating dog that the people love. What will happen to the kitten now? Santa has some surprises in store for the kitten, and delighted youngsters as well.

- Gail Cooke

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To care for the least of these..., December 29, 2003

By 

Stormy (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas for a Kitten (Hardcover)

To those who find this story too harsh--a kitten taken from its mother, abandoned, and forced to survive in the wild--think of how /often/ that occurs in real life. IF you find it upsetting, have you done anything about it? Donated to the animal shelter, neutered/spayed your pet, taken in a humane society stray? The story has a beautiful ending, where Santa takes the kitten home to live with him, instead of leaving it in the home with the dog, where it wouldn't be happy, or abandoning it outside again. My partner and I have been "Santa" to two abandoned kittens and a former feral tomcat. I think this story emphasizes to children the need to be responsible and loving towards their pets. The illustrations are magnificent, and one can tell the artist was familiar with the anatomy and gestures of real cats.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful tale, February 3, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Christmas for a Kitten (Hardcover)

Christmas for a Kitten is a story that has you living each adventure right along with the kitten. The writing and illustration come alive and bring warmth to this tale and transport the reader right into the story. The reader is taken on each adventure with the kitten. A perfect book to share the tradition of a Holiday read. Santa has a special Christmas in store for this kitten! This is a delightful book for both the young and young at heart reader.