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CAT AND KIT

Name: CAT AND KIT
Author: Jenny Koralek
ISBN: 0-7868-0037-2

by Jenny Koralek & illustrated by Patricia MacCarthy ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1995

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The British origins of this gorgeously illustrated tale are discernible in the presence of badgers and double-decker buses and in echoes of Rudyard Kipling's ``The Cat that Walked by Himself.'' Foundling Kit is taught the ways of the farm and the woods by wise old Cat, but is sent to town by a farmer as a present for his grandson. Kit pines in his new surroundings, missing his freedom to roam and the company of Cat, until the kind, observant grandson returns him to the farm. Koralek (The Boy and the Cloth of Dreams, 1994, etc.) describes a farm cat hunting at night in the woods: ``. . . with his head and his tail held high, walking alone, as most cats do, ready now and free to watch the wild and hunt for his food and protect his own.'' A sweet story rendered in quiet, almost stately prose, framed by the luxuriant vegetation and appealing animals in MacCarthy's trademark batik paintings. Bold visual elements make it an ideal book to share with a group. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: May 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-7868-0037-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Hyperion

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1995

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE STORY OF QUEEN ESTHER
by Jenny Koralek and illustrated by Grizelda Holderness

- BOOK REVIEW
THE COAT OF MANY COLORS
adapted by Jenny Koralek & illustrated by Pauline Baynes

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOSES BASKET
by Jenny Koralek & illustrated by Pauline Baynes

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WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES, MR. BROWN?

by Justin Rhodes ; illustrated by Heather Dickinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

Pedestrian.

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Mr. Brown can’t help with farm chores because his shoes are missing—a common occurrence in his household and likely in many readers’ as well.

Children will be delighted that the titular Mr. Brown is in fact a child. After Mr. Brown looks in his closet and sorts through his other family members’ shoes with no luck, his father and his siblings help him search the farm. Eventually—after colorful pages that enable readers to spot footwear hiding—the family gives up on their hunt, and Mr. Brown asks to be carried around for the chores. He rides on his father’s shoulders as Papa gets his work done, as seen on a double-page spread of vignettes. The resolution is more of a lesson for the adult readers than for children, a saccharine moment where father and son express their joy that the missing shoes gave them the opportunity for togetherness—with advice for other parents to appreciate those fleeting moments themselves. Though the art is bright and cheerful, taking advantage of the setting, it occasionally is misaligned with the text (for example, the text states that Mr. Brown is wearing his favorite green shirt while the illustration is of a shirt with wide stripes of white and teal blue, which could confuse readers at the point where they’re trying to figure out which family member is Mr. Brown). The family is light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Pedestrian. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5460-0389-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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THE BEST CHEF IN SECOND GRADE

by Katharine Kenah & illustrated by Abby Carter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2007

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An impending school visit by a celebrity chef sends budding cook Ollie into a tailspin. He and his classmates are supposed to bring a favorite family food for show and tell, but his family doesn’t have a clear choice—besides, his little sister Rosy doesn’t like much of anything. What to do? As in their previous two visits to Room 75, Kenah builds suspense while keeping the tone light, and Carter adds both bright notes of color and familiar home and school settings in her cartoon illustrations. Eventually, Ollie winkles favorite ingredients out of his clan, which he combines into a mac-and-cheese casserole with a face on top that draws delighted praise from the class’s renowned guest. As Ollie seems to do his kitchen work without parental assistance, a cautionary tip or two (and maybe a recipe) might not have gone amiss here, but the episode’s mouthwatering climax and resolution will guarantee smiles of contentment all around. (Easy reader. 6-7)