My Cats Will Always Be Kittens to Me

Today (July 10th) is National Kitten Day.  (Not cat day. Because that is completely different.)  What do you do on National Kitten Day?  Well, I didn't think going out and buying a kitten just to celebrate was a good idea.  So, I read some picture books instead.  Who knew there were two books called The Shy Little Kitten?

The Shy Little Kitten by Cathleen Schurr and Gustaf Tenggren

A shy little kitten gets separated from her family and has to find his way back with the help of a friendly puppy.

It is a simple story.  A kitten gets separated from his family and meets some interesting animals on her way back home.   There isn't much of a plot here.  The kitten has some interesting encounters on her way home, then has a picnic.  But the kitten and the animals she meets along the way are cute and fun.  And when the frog bites a bee, I think it will get a chuckle from kids.  It's a sweet story with cute kittens.  Kids will like it but, unfortunately, I think parents will very quickly get tired of reading this one.

The Shy Little Kitten by Kristen L. Depken and Sue DiCicco

A shy little Kitten meets some interesting friends on his way back home.

An easy reader book.  It has short, easy to read sentences for beginning readers.  (Level one in Step into Reading.)  The characters are cute and the encounters are fun.  There isn't much of a plot, but it is a fun story for kids learning to read.  

The two books are very similar.  The same things happen in both.  And I'm not sure why they call the kitten shy because she talks to a lot of animals along the way. The one by Schurr is mean to be read to children while the one by Depken is meant for beginning readers to read for themselves.  But they are both cute and fun, for the first time.  Both will get old very fast after a few readings.