Review by Booklist Review
Ages 2^-5. Mama Cat has three kittens. Two of them copy everything she does, but the third, Boris, has a mind of his own--and a penchant for napping. The text is minimal yet strong, with a repetitive aspect that is perfect for the very young. Fleming once again uses pebbled handmade papers to excellent effect, and her big, bold, bright pictures take children down to cat level. Yellow skies form cheerful backgrounds for the appealing cats as they prance, play, and snuggle close. --Stephanie Zvirin
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
From Peter Rabbit to the Poky Little Puppy, there's one in every familyone offspring who marches to the beat of a different drummer. In Fleming's (In the Tall, Tall Grass) chipper picture book, the odd kitten out is Boris, an orange tabby who prefers to nap while his mother and siblings sharpen their claws and chase leaves. But when Mama Cat and kittens Fluffy and Skinny curl up for a rest, Boris is ready to pounce (if only to find his next napping spot). Fleming's self-proclaimed love of cats (she lives with seven) permeates this somewhat slight but playful outing, as she accurately captures feline behavior and movement. The repetition of simple phrases and actions is also sure to be a hit with toddlers. In her vibrant artwork, composed with boldly colored cotton fiber pulp and stencils, Fleming creates a sense of texture and depth unique to her medium. Mama Cat's luxurious black fur is speckled and contoured with blue and flashes of fuchsia, an unusual but effective color combination, which endows Mama with both dimension and significance. On every page, the cats' eyes shine brightly in varying tones of fluorescent yellow and green. In addition to following the frolicking felines from scene to scene, young children will have great fun spotting trios of caterpillars, ladybugs, snails and bumblebees as well as a leery mouse who manages to stay out of the cats' path. Ages 2-5. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-As Mama cat leads her kittens through a garden adventure, Fluffy and Skinny carefully follow her example (cleaning paws, chasing leaves) while Boris naps. The surprise comes when Boris is ready to frolic and the others are too exhausted to play. Preschoolers will request repeat readings of this delightful story and enjoy searching for the smaller creatures found on each page. Fleming's kittens, created by pouring colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils, are large and bold and set against colorful backdrops. An excellent choice for reading aloud to groups.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Fleming's distinctive paper-pulp artwork illustrates a repetitive story in which Fluffy and Skinny imitate Mama, while Boris naps. Young children will enjoy the bright, colorful pictures of frolicking kittens and take pleasure in spotting the mouse that scampers through the pages with an agenda of its own. From HORN BOOK Spring 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Mama Cat has three kittens: two mimics and one contrarian. When she washes her paws, so do Fluffy and Skinny; Boris naps. When she walks on the stone wall, sharpens her claws, chases leaves, digs in the sand, Fluffy and Skinny are her shadows; Boris naps. When Mama Cat curls up for a snooze, Boris becomes active, pouncing on his kin before resuming his nap. The story is charming, but remains almost incidental to Fleming's eye-rattling artwork in which cotton pulp is transformed into color-drenched handmade paper. The details are finer in this bookmore controlledand offer readers the full range of cat gestures and contours. Readers will enjoy following the kittens' purposeful preening, as well as the progress of a mouse that sneaks through the pages until it finds its little ones safe in the nest. (Picture book. 4-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
