Kitten's First Full Moon

Henkes, Kevin

ISBN 10: 0060588292 ISBN 13: 9780060588298

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2004

Synopsis

What a night!
The moon is full.
Kitten is hungry
and inquisitive
and brave
and fast
and persistent
and unlucky . . .
then lucky!
What a night!

About this title

Review:

In this beautiful picture book, winner of the 2005 Caldecott Medal, Kevin Henkes, captures the sweet, sometimes slapstick struggle of Kitten, who sees her first full moon and thinks it's a bowl of milk in the sky.

Any child who has yearned for anything will understand how much Kitten wants that elusive bowl of milk. Readers will giggle as she tries to lick the faraway moon and gets a bug on her tongue, or leaps to catch it and falls down the stairs. In an effective refrain, the narrator repeats, "Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." The winning combination here is the simplicity and humor of the story, paired with gorgeous black-and-white illustrations with thick black lines (mirrored by the thick bold sans-serif font) and shades of grey that are as luminous as a moonlit night should be. Full-moon circles and ovals appear throughout the design: white circle full moons on the endpapers, elliptical flowers by the porch, white circles of firefly light, oval pads on Kitten's paws, and her big round eyes (especially when surprised and soaking wet). Children will love Kitten's quest and ensuing comedy of errors, but what they will love even more is that there's an actual bowl of milk waiting on the porch for Kitten. (Preschool) --Karin Snelson

From the Back Cover:

Somebody loves Kitten, and you will, too!

Winner of the Caldecott Medal

A New York Times Best Illustrated Book

Winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060588292
• ISBN 13: 9780060588298
• Binding: Library Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Henkes Kevin