Customer Reviews

Mama Cat Has Three Kittens

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Last library visit my daughter chose MAMA CAT HAS THREE KITTENS. One night recently she came to me and said, "Mommy, I want to read you this book." I remember thinking this would be cute because she'd never said that to me before. Opening the book and pointing to the words she READ the book to me! I couldn't believe it. I had only read it to her maybe five times. I called for Daddy to come, ran to get the camcorder and recorded her reading it again. Later, he said he had read it to her some too. Still, she WOWED me.

This a fantastic book by Mrs. Fleming and it appears that all of hers are, judging by the feedback here at Amazon. Her illustration style is unique--"she pours colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils which become the images set in handmade paper." The effect is very bright, vivid and dramatic. The active story follows a busy, frolicking day in the sun of Mama Cat and her three kittens--Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris the napper. It's a FUN story and even includes little surprises to find on EACH page. (There are three identical objects as well as a hidden mama mouse.)

Besides all these features, the BEST PART in my opinion, is the frequent use of the same words which helps build listening skills, perhaps some memorization skills and plenty of Confidence for a beginning reader to BEGIN READING! I am going to look into some more of her books next library visit for sure.

Soar!

My 3-year old daughter memorized this book by the time she was two. She still loves taking it out and "reading" it to us; the repetitive nature of the book really lends itself to very young children grasping the plot, and the beautiful, distinctive pictures are unlike most I've seen in children's picture-books. They're bold, colorful, and full of simple action. My daughter even used the paperback of this book as a pillow for three weeks; she refused to go to bed without it!

Ohio artist Denise Fleming works with paper to create the most extraordinarily detailed illustrations, as here in "Mama Cat Has Three Kittens" and in her other books as well. According to the text on the last page, "The artist used colored cotton rag fiber poured through hand-cut stenciles to create the illustrations for this book." The process sounds somewhat crude, but the result is illustrations of great vibrancy and detail. They are so alive that they very nearly leap off the page.

Mama Cat's children are named Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris. Looks like Boris is always missing out on the fun, as his favorite activity in life is napping. By the end of the book, however, he surprises everyone with his active nature--and then reverts to his usual self so we know that deep down he hasn't changed. It's a fun and reassuring look at how everyone has hidden depths. Great fun to read to little kids, and great fun to have a new reader read to YOU, the parent, as it's short and sweet.

Denise Fleming's illustrations make her books but her topics are always enjoyable for young children. I just stumbled across this book and can't believe I have missed it for the past 2 years. It is a precious book and a great gift for beginning readers. I have shared it with children ages 2-6 who enjoy the predictability. This book even stimulated me to write a cat song, to add to my collection of over 200 songs and fingerplays appropriate for young children.

I feel that I owe author/illustrator Denise Fleming an apology. Ahem. Dear Ms. Fleming - please forgive me for confusing you, each and every time I see a picture book of yours, with fellow children's author Lois Ehlert. I know that you and Ms. Ehlert may have much in common (your audience, your colors, etc.) but that does not mean that I should assume that you write with the same doleful tone as she has utlized in her many works. In fact, your books are almost always surprisingly funny (a fact I am repeatedly shocked by again and again and again). I understand that this is entirely my own fault but I sincerely hope that as time goes on, I will outgrow this childish (ho ho!) response to your books and recognize you immediately as the truly enjoyable author that you really are. Sincerely - a most loyal if absentminded fan.

That said, let me tell you a little something about Ms. Fleming's remarkable "Mama Cat Has Three Kittens". As you probably could tell from the preceding paragraph, I always read a Fleming book with much sighing and moaning. Then, after finishing it, it's all I can do to prevent myself from purchasing a copy for every friend I know who MIGHT one day have children. This book is no exception. Initially simple, the book is about a large black and white cat and her three adorable kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and ... Boris. Boris is, first of all, a great name for a cat. Especially an orange terminally sleepy cat. As we read, Mama Cat will do something, like sharpen her claws or wash her paws, and Fluffy and Skinny will do the same. Boris? He naps. The day continues like this (punctuated with the phrase, "Boris naps") until at last Mama Cat and two of her kittens are ready for a little shut-eye themselves. With adorable care, Boris then wakes, stretches, yawns, washes, and finally pounces directly onto his mother. Then, in an image of Boris stretched out on his mother's back (as she and his two siblings shoot him quizzical glances), "Boris naps". The end.

The unexpected joke at the end of the book is startling to those parents who weren't expecting too read a picture book with any wit in it. But if Denis Fleming is guilty of anything, she's guilty of always making her books surprisingly amusing. Once again, the book is using her customary and very original colored cotton pulp and stencil illustration technique. The result is a blindingly beautiful mix of colors and images. As with her magnificent "Lunch" and "Barnyard Banter" (which, if you haven't seen them, you must immediately rush out and purchase pronto) Fleming isn't afraid of mixing a couple primaries together to get her readers' attention. Unlike other books I've seen of hers, though, "Mama Cat" is exceptional because as an artist Fleming obviously knows her cats. You get the distinct feeling from this book that she's studied their muscle structure to some extent. Whether the cats are stretching, sharpening their claws with curved backs, or leaping in some way, these felines ring true. For cat lovers, this book is a must-own.

I concede that I'll eventually have to go out and read every single Denise Fleming book available, if only so that I'm not shocked by how much I like them when I stumble on 'em. Until then, I'll keep "Mama Cat Has Three Kittens" close to my heart. A sweet tale with excellent repetition, colorful motifs, and a funny conclusion. What more could a person ask for?

We borrowed this from the library and my 3-year-old loved it from the first page. Lush, colorful illustrations show Mama Cat and the kittens Fluffy and Skinny doing all sorts of activities, while Boris naps. My son loved repeating the phrase that ended all the pages: "Boris naps." Even though we borrow library books for my son every week, this one is a keeper. He asks for it months after we've read it. I was surprised by his attachment to the topic of kittens in general, at this age. Perfect for him at this stage.

A simple yet cute book showcasing the daily lives of a mother cat and her three little kittens.

The names for the kittens are Fluffy, Skinny and Boris. The following pages then show the Mama Cat washing her paws with the next double page showing Fluffy and Skinny doing the same, while on the opposite page Boris naps. Fluffy is the same coloring of the Mama cat with Skinny being brown and white. Boris is an orange cat that naps.

While Mama Cat, Fluffy and Skinny sharpen their claws, chase leaves and walk along the stone wall, Boris naps. When the time comes for Mama Cat and Fluffy and Skinny to take a nap, Boris slowly awakens with stretches, yawns and cleaning his paws. While one page looks like Boris is about to pounce on flowers and start having some fun, he lands on Mama Cat, Fluffy and Skinny to nap some more.

The picture shows Mama Cat, Fluffy and Skinny now with their eyes open curled around with Boris napping and eyes closed. It appears that Boris is a lazy cat and would rather stay put with his family than go off alone when he is awake. The pictures display the other kittens following the Mama Cat's lead but always in the background behind the bushes is Boris napping.

This is an easy to follow book for a young child not yet a reader and enjoy the antics of the kittens. Also a good pick for a teacher to read to the classroom when studying pets. This would also make a good project at school for trying to make images in the same manner as the author.

Nice book with easy to read font and great pictures. The story keeps them reading and the book is just the right size for bedtime.

This is a really cute book about a mother cat and her three kittens. Two of the Kittens copy everything the mother does and the third only sleeps. It has really bright drawings and the antics of the cats will make you smile. Then at the end the last kitten suprises the others in a really sweet ending to a really great kids book.