Kitten Lady's Big Book of Little Kittens

July 15, 2019
Animal advocate and Kitten Lady blogger Shaw shares facts and her experiences fostering kittens. As an animal foster parent, Shaw provides a temporary home and special care to vulnerable kittens until they find an adopter. Most of the kittens she shelters are orphans, often found in "unexpected places" like trash cans and the side of the highway without their mothers. Neonatal kittens, those with their eyes still closed and ears folded, are the most defenseless. In order to grow up healthy, kittens need help regulating their body temperature, receiving nutrients, learning to groom themselves, and getting appropriate amounts of rest and activity. Shaw celebrates every adoption. Her home is never empty because there are always more kittens in need. Photographs with playful embellishments accompany the first-person, informational narrative. The prose is full of cutesy language ("li'l peanuts"; "snuggle-dumplings"), but the casual conversational style fits the undeniable sweetness of the kittens and doesn't detract from the educational aspect of the text. Words set in bold, green text are defined in the glossary. Shaw adds a personal touch by naming many of the kittens depicted in the photographs and using them as examples as she describes the details of kitten care. Although she emphasizes the dedication and hard work required for raising kittens, she encourages readers to get involved and suggests creative ways to help. Inviting and informative, with charming purrsonality. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 7-12)

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October 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 3-Cat rescuer and animal advocate Shaw, aka Kitten Lady, has followed up her adult how-to title, Tiny But Mighty, with this engaging picture book for the youngest would-be rescuers. Vibrant, playful photos of kittens, enhanced with colorful Instagram-worthy line drawings, will appeal to readers from preschool up. Strong readers can tackle the informative text on their own, including a comprehensibly defined array of new words, but this book is best enjoyed with a caregiver or older sibling-appropriately, given that fostering involves a high commitment level and plenty of adult supervision. Shaw is clear about this, as well as providing a wealth of interesting facts about kittens, particularly newborns, and advice for their care. While some of the messier realities that may not be appropriate for this audience-parasites, toilet habits, illnesses-are left out, and Shaw only briefly addresses the complicated emotions that may accompany giving a fostered kitten up to adopters, this is an upbeat, knowledgeable introduction to cat rescue. VERDICT An appealing entry to the world of rescue, this title will also appeal to young animal lovers-or anyone who can't resist great kitten photos.-Lisa Peet, Library Journal

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