Customer Reviews

Kitten's First Full Moon

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't know how a person goes about making a black and white picture book appear to shimmer and shine, but somehow or other author Kevin Henkes does it. Having decided to conquer the world of cats as well as the world of mice (if this statement confuses you a single glimpse of "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse" should explain what I mean), Henkes has shifted his focus squarely on a small hungry kitten. Inviting child audiences to simultaneously pity and scoff (nicely) at its small mistaken heroine, the story is about a feline that tries to capture the moon, but is happy enough in the end with a simple bowl of milk.

Kitten, we take it, is not very old. In fact, for the first time ever she's experiencing her first full moon. Apparently no one thought to explain to Kitten exactly what a moon is and since her only frame of reference for a large round white thing is a bowl of milk, that's exactly what she mistakes the moon to be. What follows is a series of mild calamities as Kitten tries time and again to reach that tempting bowl of milk in the sky. Simply sticking her tongue out doesn't work. She gets fireflies stuck there. Leaping at the moon from the house's steps doesn't work. She just bumps her bum. Chasing the moon over hill and dale doesn't work. Kitten can't help but notice that she never gets closer. After other mistakes Kitten, dejected and more than a little soggy, returns home to find an inviting bowl of milk sitting on her home's steps just for her. Says the last line in the book, "Lucky Kitten".

The illustrations in this book are, in a word, luminous. Somehow Henkes has taken somewhat bland black and grey gouache and colored pencils and used them to give the impression of a world bathed in shimmering moonlight. Kitten herself is a lovely innocent little creature. There are some truly amusing moments when she finds that she's just been tricked in some way. In times like these her mouth pretty much disappears and her eyes become wide, staring straight at the reader. It's a brilliant comic effect, and it keeps you rooting for Kitten. If there's anything to beware of in this book it may be your children over identifying with the little cat. I know that I, for one, felt awful for her when she found herself floating in a pond (she saw the reflection of the moon in the pond and thought... well, you know) and, "was wet and sad and tired and hungry". Fortunately Kitten's happy ending is just a few pages away, so kids won't have much time to dwell on the unhappy heroine's predicament.

The book is not too unlike one of my favorite picture books from childhood. Like, "The Patchwork Cat" by Nicola Bayley & William Mayne, this book is about a cat attempting to find and recover the thing she loves best. The two books would pair brilliantly together for any storytime. Henkes has redirected his storylines from rodents to cats so well that I suspect his fans won't be clamoring for any more mousie tales for quite some time. If you'd like a picture book that is as beautiful as it is misleadingly simple, "Kitten's First Full Moon" is your best bet. Perhaps the most beautiful black and white picture book on the market today.

As a librarian, I bought "Kitten's First Full Moon" because it was the 2005 Caldecott winner. I have an 18-month-old grandson, however, and it's been a favorite of his since his first birthday and I was a bit surprised. So even though he's a little younger than the usual range for Caldecott books, I would recommend it for younger children as well. By the way, it's also on the Texas 2x2 list (2 years-2nd grade) from the Texas Library Assn. Vona Van Cleef, librarian/gramma

This cute story of a kitten thinking the full moon is a big bowl of milk and her wriggling, tumbling, chasing, climbing, and leaping after it reminds me of childhood imagination, curiousity, exploration and discovery. Kitten's First Full Moon has a fun underlying message of encouragement to go after our dreams! Usually children love colorfully illustrated books. Kitten's First Full Moon, done in black and white with variations of gray shades, grants it to stand out in memory as being different and enables it to receive greater attention, as it is a story that occurs at night. (So black and white makes sense.) The bold, thick black lettering on starch white paper makes it easy for a child to read with confidence. The sentences are of varying length and the story is written so that it keeps children turning pages to find out what the kitten will do next. The many changes of illustrations from one on a full page, to five long ones, to a two page spread with only one small picture on each and more, adds to the visual interest of KFFM. The Caldecott Medal Winner of 2005. Enjoy it!
Soar!

Hi. During school some kids (including me) have been asked if we could be in a Caldecott reading group. In this reading group we have to read 25 of the books that were entered in the Caldecott award. At the end we were supposed to pick a book that we thought should win. My friends, Haleigh and Marissa were in a group with me. we decided to do an essay on the book Kittens First Full Moon. We did a little presantation in front of the reading class and we also shared our thoughts about the book. We even shared what we thought aboout the black and white pictures, few words and even te cute little Kitten. This reading class was fun and i hope that maybe next time (if there is a next time) you will choose the same book i did again. I had fun writing this paragraph. I really enjoy the book Kittens First Full Moon. Thank You.

-Emily-

Kitten's first Full Moon is certain to become a new classic for the K and pre-K kid set. A departure from other children's books in that it doesn't rely on eye-jolting color's to catch your childs eye but rather it is drawn superbly in white, black, and shades of gray. Despite the lack of color, I found my two year old enjoying it very much and he was extremely attentive.

The book tells the story of a little kitten who sees a full moon for the first time in his life. She thinks it's a bowl full of milk and with humor and a lot of charm, proceeeds to try and get to that bowl by jumping, climbing a tree, etc. All very delightful. Just a great new kids book that I'm sure will be on bookshelfs for a long, long time!

This is another book (like Fledgling, previously reviewed) which isn't obviously charming when glanced through but comes into its own in the read-aloud. It gained a lot of attention for its illustrations but I think the story line is even better. The simple text is charming and perfect. You can't help but hold your breath as you follow along with Kitten's ups and downs, trying valiantly to reach that "little bowl of milk, just waiting" in the sky. And, of course, the happy ending with its fairy tale quality... who can help but believe that those who truly deserve it find their happiness in good time. Buy this book for the science of it (full moon, reflections) or for the fun of it, but don't hold back. I give it a million gold stars.

The writing is simply beautiful, which makes this charming story stand out in a sea of horribly written, celebrity driven picture books that have all but destroyed the genre. It's lyrical, simple, and the message is just right for the smallest of listeners. It's my two-year-old's bedtime favorite, and neither she nor I has gotten sick of it after dozens and dozens of readings. This book belongs in every preschooler's storybook collection.

I agree with all the reviewers who wrote about the fantastic artwork in this book. Normally one would wonder how black and white illustrations would go over with small children but these are silvery and luminous and a joy to look at no matter what your age. The story is darling as well, and perfect for the 5 and under set. The spirit of a frisky and determined kitten is captured and the animal in this story at least behaves like a real kitten would. I don't know whether any kittens have mistaken the full moon for a bowl of milk but they certainly get themselves into trouble following their whims. All ends well in this delectable story so the little ones will breathe a sigh of relief. For anyone wondering whether to choose this book for a small child, I believe it is has an excellent chance of being a new favorite.

Kitten's First Full Moon won the Caldecott Award for 2005 and I'm glad it did! At my elementary school, we had our own Caldecott Committee and it even won that award, too! The book is a picture book with little text and mostly large pictures. There is a little kitten who mistakes the moon as a bowl of milk. It is black & white, but the kitten's expressions are so realistic! He's so cute and determined to get that bowl of milk, you want to just want to keep cheering for him!

Kevin Henkes has once again developed a wonderful fantasy story that is charming and suspenseful and the children love it! I was sure that Kevin Henkes had outdone himself with "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse", until I read this story. "Kitten's First Full Moon," is an all time favorite of my nephew's and no matter how many times we read it together we never get sick of it. After reading the story for the first time, I immediately fell in love with it! The whole suspense plot that lies within the story is very exciting for not only children, but adults also. Kitten has spotted a bowl of milk in the sky and no matter how hard she tries, she just can't seem to get to it! As stated in the book, "she chased it-down the sidewalk, through the garden, past the field, and by the pond. But Kitten never seemed to get closer." Poor little Kitten!