This Little Kitty by Karen Obuhanych. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 9780593435144
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Format: Hardcover picture book
What did you like about the book? Obuhanych leads young readers through a day in the life of a pile of kittens. Rhyming text highlights all the important tasks a kitty must undertake, from napping and eating, to playing, climbing the drapes and coughing up a hairball. The story is told through simple rhyming text, fun to read aloud, and playful illustrations that emphasize the mischievous but lovable nature of cats. The stylized mixed media artwork gives the cats big shimmering eyes and differentiates the five of them by color, size and texture of the brushstrokes. Readers can follow each one as they contribute to the mayhem. I like that the story begins by showing the pajama clad legs of a brown-skinned child, (and incidentally, the motif on the pajamas is echoed on the endpapers), but other loving hands with different skin colors add their love to the cats, with cat hair flying.
Families who enjoy reading about cats will enjoy the whimsy of the story, but will also get an idea of all the work that having cats entails.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? Combine this with Susie Gahremani’s Stack the Cats and Galia Bernstein’s I am a Cat for a fun cat-themed story time.
Who should buy this book? Daycare centers and public libraries
Where would you shelve it ? Picture books
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Stephanie Tournas, Robbins Library, Arlington, MA
Date of review: January 23, 2023
Youth Services Book Review 
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