Kitten's First Full Moon

by Kevin Henkes

When Kitten sees her first full moon overhead, she’s sure it’s a bowl... read more

When Kitten sees her first full moon overhead, she’s sure it’s a bowl of milk in the sky. “And she wanted it.” Her attempts to drink the milk all fail. Licking doesn’t work (she only gets a firefly on her tongue), a leap from the porch yields a bumped nose and pinched tail, and although she runs and runs, the moon never seems to get any closer. “Poor Kitten!” When she climbs a tree to reach the elusive treat, she sees a second bowl of milk, even larger than the first. It is just the moon’s reflection in the pond, and Kitten ends up wet and still hungry. She heads home in defeat to discover something waiting on her porch: a bowl of milk, of course. “Lucky Kitten!” Kitten’s bold lines and shades of black, cream and grey are a departure from the familiar style of Madison author/illustrator Kevin Henkes’s wildly popular mouse books such as Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Wemberly Worried . This gentle picture book feels transported from an earlier era. Reminiscent of the writing of Margaret Wise Brown, its deceptively simple language and masterful pacing transcend time. Lucky Reader! Winner, 2005 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 2–5)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005

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