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Reviews
Christmas for a
Kitten
by Robin Pulver,
Layne Johnson (Illustrator)
"...the
strength of this book lies in its rich oil paintings..." (School
Library Journal)
"…it's
Layne Johnson's exquisite paintings that will capture. Like a real
kitten, Christmas for a Kitten is absolutely irresistible.
" (Ingram)
"...the tale is so
warm and the art so sweet that the book will immediately put
everyone in a holiday mood..." (Booklist)
"Stunning
oil paintings filled with texture and light fill the pages with
dazzling perspectives and drama. Kitten antics and expressions are
beautifully captured." (Children's Literature)
"...the oil
paintings of the mischievous kitten will please any cat lover." (Kirkus
Reviews)
DELIGHTFUL
AND SURPRISING, December 31, 2003
Few animal stories are more
appealing to young readers than those
featuring an irresistible kitten - mix in
Christmas, and you have a sure winner.
Artist Layne Johnson, the
owner of two cats, brings drama and warmth
to his lovely full-page paintings which
begin with the birth of a kitten in barn.
He's safe there with his mother until a
cruel person, evidently the barn owner,
decides there are too many cats and stuffs
the kitten into a sack. After a short but
very frightening ride the kitten is
literally thrown away.
Fortunately, he remembers
what his mother taught him about hunting,
and he is able to fend for himself in the
woods. Eventually, on a very cold winter day
people come to the hillside where he hides.
They are cutting down a tree; he doesn't
understand why. But when he sees the trunk
of their car open, it looks like a warm
place to him and he jumps in.
Once the people reach
their home the kitten jumps out of the
reopened trunk and is able to skitter into
the house. What wonders he sees! It's
Christmas Eve and there are many beautiful
decorations as well as a glass of milk by
the fireplace.
But, the house is also
home to a cat-hating dog that the people
love. What will happen to the kitten now?
Santa has some surprises in store for the
kitten, and delighted youngsters as well.
- Gail Cooke |
To
care for the least of these..., December
29, 2003
To those who find this story
too harsh--a kitten taken from its mother,
abandoned, and forced to survive in the
wild--think of how /often/ that occurs in
real life. IF you find it upsetting, have
you done anything about it? Donated to the
animal shelter, neutered/spayed your pet,
taken in a humane society stray? The story
has a beautiful ending, where Santa takes
the kitten home to live with him, instead of
leaving it in the home with the dog, where
it wouldn't be happy, or abandoning it
outside again. My partner and I have been
"Santa" to two abandoned kittens and a
former feral tomcat. I think this story
emphasizes to children the need to be
responsible and loving towards their pets.
The illustrations are magnificent, and one
can tell the artist was familiar with the
anatomy and gestures of real cats. |
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