Proceeds go to the North Shore Animal League America, which is probably the best thing that can be said about this...
A Persian cat adopted from a shelter becomes “foster papa” to four rowdy kittens in celebrity author Stern’s sentimental tale.
As a kitten, Yoda dreams big dreams. But when his owner tires of him, he is taken to an animal shelter, where his condition degrades and he develops an inferiority complex watching other cats leave with new owners. Then “a nice lady named Beth” adopts him despite his perceived shortcomings and brings him home to what Crane depicts as kitty heaven: There are cat condos, scratching posts and toy mice galore. Nevertheless, the vet diagnoses him with “a sad heart.” Suddenly, four foster kittens appear in the household, and now Yoda’s life has meaning, protecting and teaching the furry scamps. At last, “Yoda has a happy heart.” An author’s note explains that the real-life Yoda has a heart condition, but the patronizing language obfuscates this hard truth. Stern’s narrative suffers from abrupt transitions and a confusing timeline: Where does Yoda grow from kitten to cat? At his original home? The shelter? Beth’s? The plot is likewise flimsy, relying on emotional manipulation and arbitrary action for its effect. Judging from the photo of Yoda on the back cover, Crane paints him accurately, but jowly verisimilitude leaves little room for personality; the kittens have far more mobile expressions than Yoda does.
Proceeds go to the North Shore Animal League America, which is probably the best thing that can be said about this well-meaning but unsuccessful story . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4814-4407-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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