Author Kevin Henkes
Publisher Greenwillow Books
ISBN 0-06-058828-4
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes is a wonderful children’s book about a cute kitten that sees a full moon for the first time and thinks there is a little bowl of milk in the sky. The kitten tries everything she can to get to this bowl of milk, but the little bowl of milk is still up in the sky, waiting for her. Her attempts leave her tired, wet, and hungry. When the kitten finally gives up chasing the moon for what she thinks is milk, she goes home to find a great big bowl of milk waiting for her on the porch. Looks like kittens luck has changed as she falls sleep after drinking her milk under the moonlight.
This book was an easy pick for me because I am a cat lover. The kitten in the story is so cute in her attempts to get to what she believes is a bowl of milk. What caught my eye was the cover of the book and the fact that the cover is in black and white. I have not read many children’s books that were done completely in black and white, normally your are drawn to books which have drawings done in vibrant colors. The illustrations in Kitten’s First Full Moon are detailed drawings done in shades of black and gray. Do not let that discourage you from reading this book. It still has wonderful illustrations that give you a feeling that you are out in the dark, at night, with this persistent kitten in her quest for milk.
Repetitive phrases make this an excellent book for a read aloud as the narrator repeats, “Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting.” Pre-school children will find humor in the story when the kitten tries to lick the bowl of milk only to get bugs on her tongue. In the end, children will clap when the kitten returns home and finds a bowl of milk on the porch waiting for her.
This is the first book I read by Kevin Henkes who has published many other books including Chrysanthemum. After reading this book, I am interested in reading more books by this author. I recommend that you follow this story with Frank Asch’s Happy Birthday, Moon, a story about a bear that mistakes his echo for the voice of the moon. Kitten’s First Full Moon won The Caldecott Medal in 2005.
Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite authors of children books. So, it was no surprise that you enjoyed this reading. His simple writing and illustrations are what attracts me to his books.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you described a bit of what the story was about in the beginning not forgetting to mention the comparison between the bowl of milk and the moonlight----nice!! Also, that the cat is persistent in his quest for milk speaks loudly to children, they love it when a character wants something bad enough and goes after it only to have silly things happen along the way--a small but important life lesson is taught.
Thank you for your pleasant review of a wonderful book and author. Children will definitely enjoy reading this or listening to it being read.