KITTEN'S AUTUMN

It’s autumn on the farm, and calico kitten is ready to explore the woodland nearby and observe its various denizens. “Hummingbird sips, / Caterpillar munches. // Rabbit nibbles, / Squirrel crunches.” Kitten hides and sees a brown bear licking a honeycomb, a deer browsing on grasses, a chipmunk eating seeds and a raccoon picking corn. Skunks, turtles, frogs and beavers—everyone seems to be eating hard to prepare for the cold weather. Kitten hurries home; “Supper waits, / Fireside greets. // Door opens, / Kitten eats.” The self-hardening clay, acrylic paint and mixed-media collage illustrations of Canadian author and illustrator Fernandes’s second season-centered kitten adventure (Kitten's Spring, 2010) are just as intricate and eye-catching as before—though kitten’s sojourn must take place in early autumn, since there is more green than popping autumn oranges and yellows. Kitten hides in nearly every tableau, and young listeners will enjoy hunting for her. Porcupine’s nibbling of a shoe early on will get a giggle or two, and a marked similarity between kitten's tail and a woolly bear caterpillar will cause double takes. A fine addition to seasons and kitty collections. (Picture book. 1-4)