Cat's Kittens (Viking Kestrel picture books) [Hardcover]

Paul Rogers (Author), Emma Rogers (Author), Sophy Williams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Viking Kestrel picture books

Mother cat rescues her kittens from all kinds of scrapes when they are fending for themselves in the city. Realizing they need more experience of the big, wide world, she takes them out and teaches them how to cross the road, the best places to eat and how to play and hunt.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Before they head out on their own, Cat's six kittens need to get some street smarts. The attentive mother warns, "If you want to be city kittens, you have to be careful kittens, you have to be canny kittens." On five successive nights, a different young feline strikes out on its own and bumps into routine lessons in life: watch out for cars, don't go too far out on a limb, don't pick on someone bigger. On Saturday night, the sixth, littlest kitten chooses instead to "stay here with my mama." Within the days-of-the-week structure that both grounds and moves the text, the story and illustrations resonate with timeless and universal themes. Williams's (The Witness; When Grandma Came) dusky, purple-hued, softly textured illustrations are at once stylish and tender. In the depictions of a city night from cat perspectives-both low and high-changing angles give everyday objects an unfamiliar cast. A vignette that gentles the rigors of growing up. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. Cat belongs to nobody. She fends for herself and her kittens but warns them that the time will come when they will be on their own. One by one, the young felines make tentative ventures into the world and stumble into danger despite their mother's warnings. Neither text nor pictures let readers know if the kittens survive their adventures until the end of the book when they are all pictured again with Cat. Despite their escapades, listed in one brief cliff-hanging sentence per page, and the comforting underlying message that mothers will care for their children until they reach maturity, the story is thin. The illustrations, done in what appears to be chalk in shades of blue, purple, and aqua, are much more engaging. Thick colors suggest night without being dark. The two-page spreads are impressionistic and soft edged yet there is enough detail to catch readers' attention. The kittens are fluffy and curious without being overly cute and some of the pictures are poignant. The text is printed in boxes, sometimes in a pastel version of the background, sometimes in a contrasting color, and looks pasted on the illustrations rather than integrated into the design. A visually appealing but nonessential purchase.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067086255X
• ISBN-13: 978-0670862559
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,509,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must Have Book!, October 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cat's Kittens (Viking Kestrel picture books) (Hardcover)

I absolutely loved this book. I love cats to begin with, but the story was excellent. My favorite cat was the one who has his eyes and mouth wide open. The drawings are awesome-this is a must have book for anyone!!