MY KITTEN

“Dream kitten, / fluff kitten, / sun kitten, / light. / Yawn kitten, / stretch kitten, / sweet kitten, / bright.” Rhythmic, rhyming verse follows a girl and her new kitten through a day of discovery and play. Kitten has breakfast and cleans up. She watches the goldfish swim and hops into a comfy chair. She learns lessons: “No, kitten, / don’t, kitten, / stop. Kitten, / claws,” when she tries to claw the couch. And gets a suggested alternate behavior: “Yes, kitten, / good, kitten, / nice, kitten, / paws,” and is shown to her scratching post. Kitten plays with yarn, chases a squirrel, gets stuck up a tree and has milk before settling down to dream. This feline answer to My Pup (2008) by the same team is just as toe-tapping and easy to read as its canine predecessor. The sing-song-y rhyme may seem childish to older readers, but those just starting out will pick up words with the rhythm and repetition. The watercolor-and–colored-pencil illustrations are both spot and full-bleed, and they match the action of the text wonderfully. Pussycat fans will delight in the contented orange kitten and her attentive little girl; repeated readings will be required. (Picture book. 2-5)