Review by Booklist Review
PreS^-Gr. 2. In this alphabet book, a young girl finds a kitten in an alley and brings it home. "A is for Alley / Where a kitten meowed. / Finally I found her, / Tiny and loud." Short, rhyming verses correspond with each letter of the alphabet and describe the kitten's exciting day in her new home. The text is pleasant if uninspiring. It is Jeffers' wonderful gouache-and-colored-ink artwork, fresh and appealing, that will sell this, especially to children who are animal lovers. The pictures capture the kitten's wild energy and movements, culminating in a quiet ending for the busy little cat, "Z is for Zzzz's. / With love all around her, / Rosie is dozing. / I'm so glad I found her." The pictures also show the interplay between the kitten and other pets in the home (and animals and folks throughout the neighborhood), adding more humor, and the endpapers display the alphabet for extra fun. --Kathy Broderick
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A day in the life of an irresistible lost and found kitten unfolds through the letters of the alphabet in Leopold's (Once I Was...) sophomore effort. "A is for Alley/ Where a kitten meowed./ Finally I found her,/ Tiny and loud." Jeffers's (the McDuff books) opening spread details the meeting: a framed panel depicts the curious girl, her mother and their dog leaning between two buildings; a close-up, opposite, reveals the green-eyed tabby surrounded by two pairs of feet (and paws). Enlarged, boldface letters kick off each couplet, which, combined with the illustrations, often convey a playful humor. For instance, for the letter Q, the top panel ("Q is for Quarrel./ Here comes a real cat") depicts a full-grown white cat approaching the kitten, Rosie, while the lower panel (`This is my garden,'/ Says Rosie, `you scat!' ") reveals the true reason for the cat's exit off the right-hand side of the page-Rosie stands between the dog's legs. The cat's antics are so engaging that readers might overlook a few faulty rhymes (limb/again, lives/inside); meanwhile, Jeffers's spot-on illustrations will appeal to animal lovers. Ages 2-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-This alphabet book tells the story of Miss Rosie, a kitten rescued from an alley by a little girl. The simple rhyming text describes her adventures and learning experiences from lapping cream or falling into the pond to going to the vet. Each letter is given a four-line verse and highlighted in a larger font in uppercase. The illustrative word can be a noun, a verb, or "Oops" and "ZZzz's." Jeffers's gouache and colored-ink illustrations are enchanting. This feline is a soft, yellow tabby with big green eyes that just about jumps off the page into readers' arms so that they can feel its fur. There are many interesting points to discuss with children, such as the different insects on the "I" spread. The beauty of the book is in its simplicity and veracity. The little girl poised to lap the milk out of the saucer to teach the kitten is typical of a child. Better yet, with yawning girl, kitten, and dog, "Y is for Yawn" makes this a perfect bedtime story. The book is best for one-on-one reading, but the pictures are large enough to use a short rhyme or two in a storytime setting. Preschoolers will love this book.-Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL (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
S is for Shadow. / Wherever she goes, / A little gray kitten / Plays with her toes. Jeffers's appealing, detailed illustrations of Miss Rosie the orange tabby accompany this alphabet book's rhyming text. Pictures and text work well together to depict Rosie's small adventures as she explores her new home and yard after being rescued from an alley by a little girl. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (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
A tiny ginger kitten is rescued from the alley in this alphabetic adventure. From A to Z, Leopold (Once I Was . . . , 1999) chronicles a young girl's first day with her foundling. Christening the kitty Miss Rosie, she welcomes the feline to her home, introducing it to the inhabitants and surrounding environs. In typical kittenish fashion, Rosie's curiosity is greater than her common sense as she recklessly teases the resident dog, frolics after squirrels, tussles with a frog, and generally tumbles from one misadventure to another. A dunk in the pond, a quarrel with a neighborhood cat, getting stuck up a tree, all wear out the petite, furry whirlwind, who ultimately settles down with a contented string of Zs at tale's end. Rhythmic verses are arranged with a stanza of rhymes dedicated to each letter. The playful stanzas successfully convey both the naovete and rampant curiosity that is so potently kitten. "S is for Shadow. / Wherever she goes, / A little gray kitten / Plays with her toes." Jeffers's (McDuff Saves the Day, p. 743, etc.) delicately detailed gouache and colored-ink illustrations beguile readers with the full force of Miss Rosie's considerable charm. Wide, green eyes peer out of the pages with incredulity, and with wee ears eagerly pointed forward and sassy tail perkily aloft, the cuddlesome kitten leaps paws first into each mishap. A frisky feline frolic through the alphabet. (Picture book. 2-6)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
