Kitten's First Full Moon
by
Kevin Henkes
children's fiction, ages 2-5.
Caldecott winner
This is a black and white book with a retro feel that makes it timeless, even though it was published in 2004. I think it won the Caldecott because it seems like the type of book that our grandmothers would have read to our parents or our parents would have read to us. After reading it I felt warm and cozy. It reminded me of the old Little Golden Book "Pussy Willow" by Margaret Wise Brown. Both feature sweet little kitties.
Another book it reminded me of was "Owl at Home" by Arnold Lobel . Now I am on a nostalgia trip like the Caldecott committee must have been!
Here is the plot - a naive kitten mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. She tries again and again to reach the moon. This seems like it could be a Native American myth or another ancient story. It is remarkable that a modern author could write and illustrate such a simple, endearing story and get it published.
I definitely will have to read more Kevin Henkes books and share them with others.
