The Christmas Day Kitten - Softcover

Herriot, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312097670 ISBN 13: 9780312097677

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 1993

Synopsis

"Christmas can never go by without my remembering a certain little cat."

So begins The Christmas Day Kitten, another true story from James Herriot's rich experience as a country vet. As always, the tale includes a vivid group of characters on two legs and four: Mrs. Pickering and her three stately Basset hounds, James himself, and Debbie, the self-possesed stray cat who makes a special contribution to Christmas at the Pickering house. This is one of James Herriot's own favorite stories, and it is sure to be one of yours.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

K-4 A well illustrated, but very slight story from James Herriot's seemingly unending supply of anecdotes as a country vet. This is part of a series including Moses the Kitten (1984) and Only One Woof (1985, both St. Martin's Pr) . The paintings are rich in the color and texture of the Yorkshire setting, but they cannot offset the fact that there isn't much to the story itself. It concerns a rather mysterious and independent cat who frequently visits Mrs. Pickering's house. One Christmas before the cat dies, she brings her small kitten to Mrs. Pickering for care. There amongst Mrs. Pickering's two sedate basset hounds, she thrives. Later Mrs. Pickering delights in showing Herriot an amazing feat: unlike the hounds, the kitten retrieves a ball tossed by her. To Mrs. Pickering it is the best Christmas present she has ever had. It's unlikely that children will be that impressed.Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Lib .
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

The noted veterinarian and storyteller recalls a Christmas morning when he was summoned to the home of Mrs. Pickering. Usually he called on her Basset hounds, but this time the woman's concern was for a mother cat that was sick. The cat, a stray that occasionally hung around at Mrs. Pickering's, had brought her kitten with her and then died. Mrs. Pickering keeps the kitten, which grows up to become a "retriever-cat," fetching balls and setting them at his mistress's feet. Portraits of Mrs. Pickering and her animals, elegantly executed by Brown, round out this story about the quiet joy of the miracle of birth. It portrays a holiday spirit usually associated with the past: that the humblest of pleasures are the ones most keenly felt. (All ages
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0312097670
• ISBN 13: 9780312097677
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Brown Ruth