Reviews for Kittens First Full Moon

by Kevin Henkes

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In a surprisingly new guise, Henkes turns his hand for his 34th book to a retro look, with rough-hewn, black-and-white illustrations that pair perfectly with this deceptively simply story. When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it. The coarse but masterfully controlled line with heavy black outlines contains vigor and exuberance, creating a spontaneous feeling. A keen sense of design uses double spreads and panels to depict the action and Kitten's puzzlement. Some spreads are almost all white space with dark shadows outlining Kitten and the moon. The style is reminiscent of Clare Newberry (Marshmallow, April's Kittens) without soft, fuzzy shapes, but artful in its gracelessness and naïvetÉ, just like a kitten. Simply charming. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The black-and-white forms in this sweet story about a kitten who thinks the full moon is a bowl of milk are larger and more solid-looking than Henkes's usual work. The kitten, whose white fur glows against the charcoal-gray sky, is sprightly and expressive as she fails repeatedly (""Poor Kitten!"") to get at that milk. The rhymthic, action-oriented text is just right for small children. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

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