A Quieter Story

April 15, 2019
A child writes a story about a pet--with some help. The unnamed protagonist is clearly a creative type who loves this little tiger kitten. Pictured on the title page is evidence of a previous story as well as two larger than life-size portraits of her kitten. Pencils, crayons, and craft supplies spill from a nearby bookcase. Sprawled on the flowered rug, the child begins a new saga. Initial efforts are rejected by the cat, who demands to be referred to as a tiger and advocates for more exciting exploits than chasing yarn and drinking milk. Inspired, the young author is soon wielding watercolors to create a dark jungle, dripping with snakes. Initially enthusiastic, the kitten finds the next few additions a bit intimidating and soon enough declares that it is all "TOO MUCH!" The appealing artwork was created using a variety of media, resulting in a nicely varied, upbeat look. Round eyes and heads, simply drawn shapes, and black outlines give the pictures a cheerful, cartoony feel. Shifts in perspective allow young listeners to become immersed in the story within a story, while subtle details ground the adventure in the cozy real-life setting. Speech balloons and type colors clearly indicate who is speaking in the brief conversational text. The child has pale skin and straight, black hair. Lively and amusing, this story about making stories will likely find eager listeners--and may just inspire some writing projects, too. (Picture book. 5-8)

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July 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-A girl settles into her art space to write a story about her kitten, but her kitten is not satisfied with the plot she is developing. He wants more excitement, more action, more pizazz. The girl takes his advice and changes the setting to one that is more exciting; a jungle full of venomous and dangerous creatures. Moving through the story as it develops, the kitten, at first, takes it all in stride, but as the plot thickens, the kitten becomes frightened and wants the story to end. The girl and her precocious little kitten decide to tell a quieter story instead. Set in the home of the young girl in the beginning, the story begins to take on the setting of the tale she is writing, going from the bright light of her home to the dark tones of the ominous jungle. The emotions and feelings of the kitten are adorably evident in the way he is painted and his thoughts are highlighted for readers using red text that contrasts with the speech bubbles containing the black text of the young girl's words. The mixed media illustrations are vibrantly rich and delightfully entertaining. The spunk and charisma of the cheeky little kitten makes him an amusing and endearing character. VERDICT A charming tale of "be careful what you wish for" for young children.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

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