Very young children have long loved picture books about felines, as demonstrated by the popularity of such classics as Wanda Gág’s stunningly illustrated Millions of Cats (1928); Dr. Seuss’ famous The Cat in the Hat (1957), which received a Kirkus star; and, later, such Kirkus-starred fare as Kevin Henke’s Kitten’s First Full Moon (2004) and Nicola Killen’s The Little Kitten (2020). But slightly older kids are cat lovers, too, and many authors have provided books for that thriving audience—heavier on text and somewhat more challenging, but still lighthearted in tone. Here are three recent examples, all recommended by Kirkus Indie:
In Two Cats, a Mermaid and the Disappearing Moon by Pamela K. Knudsen, gorgeously illustrated by Pamela and Robin DeWitt, the titular young felines—siblings Topper and Lexington—embark on a quest to find the moon, which they believe has vanished; what they don’t realize is that they’re witnessing a lunar eclipse. On their adventure, they meet a mermaid and her dolphin pal, as well as a deer and an owl, who finally provides the answers the cats seek. Our reviewer greatly enjoyed this “dreamy nighttime adventure,” noting that the two main characters “embody the quintessential playful curiosity of young cats and will appeal to children and adults alike.”
The poems in the children’s collection Did You Kiss a Cat Today???, by Geri Lipschultz, James Berger, and Diane Stevenson, cover a wide range of topics of interest to youngsters, including homework, the changing seasons, and the world of dreams. But Stevenson specifically offers a few verses that, fittingly, bring cats into the mix. One states, “I did not kiss a cat today. / Did you kiss a cat today?” before asking a series of follow-up questions about whether the reader has kissed a dog, bug, leaf, or donkey, among other living things; it ends with “I did not kiss a crocodile or a coreopsis / or a shoe. Did you?” In another poem, the speaker ponders whether to let their pet cat, who’s “crying at the door,” out into the world. Still another presents a swirling vision of “a long-legged horse / or a long-legged cat / galloping / looping / looping / in figurations.” Kirkus’ reviewer praised this “collection of whimsical children’s poetry that expertly sneaks in moments of profound reflection.”
Hans Ness’ lighthearted middle-grade SF novel Rolo on the Planet of the Cats, with illustrations by Sofia Komarenko, is a sequel to Rolo the Pet Earthling (2023), in which the title human tween escaped from the planet Blorx, where he’d been treated like a pet. Now, he finds that Earth is dominated by cats, who took over the planet some time ago. Rolo is captured, but he soon manages to leave the “Litterpool Pound for Stray Hoomans” behind him; he then stows away on a “skyship,” where he meets another young human. A cat bounty hunter named Wicks pursues Rolo—but, readers learn, this bewhiskered antagonist is very easily distracted by a laser pointer. Our reviewer called the novel “an enjoyable SF fantasy with a likable young protagonist, memorable characters, heart, and humor.”
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
