I Got Swept Up in the Moment.

The Little Kitten
Written & Illustrated by Nicola Killen
Age Level: 2-5 Years
Published July 21, 2020

I’m a sucker for a beautiful book.

Growing up, I lived in a house surrounded by dense woods. I explored them year round, but particularly loved stomping around in the fall with a canopy of deeply colored leaves overhead and the crunch of those that had fallen underfoot. It was the perfect environment to let my imagination run wild, just like our young protagonist, Ollie.

One autumn afternoon, Ollie and her pet cat, Pumpkin, discover a little black kitten burrowed in a pile of leaves. The trio forms a quick friendship, romping energetically through the woods until they eventually flop down for a rest. Pumpkin falls asleep, but Ollie and the kitten resume playing and wander off. Suddenly, Ollie notices posters for a missing black kitten tacked up on all the trees. Can they find the kitten’s home? Who is its owner? And oh no!, will Ollie ever be able to find Pumpkin back in the woods?

“That night, Ollie wasn’t the only one happy to be reunited with her cat.”

I typically resist buying seasonal books since they have such a short shelf life, no pun intended, but this book is truly a worthwhile investment. Many pages have copper foil printing that make the autumn leaves gleam in the light, and there are a few spreads with peekaboo cut-outs that are a delightful surprise. My son gets swept up in the story each time, and his relief is palpable when all the kittens and owners are ultimately reunited.

---