5 stars A feisty kitten welcomes us into her day with a morning stretch, a meal to fortify her for the day, and then she is off. The kitten practices a cat’s nose up, before she creeps up and then leaps up for a toy. If you ever wondered what a kitten does with her day, Up Cat will fill you i... more

5 stars A feisty kitten welcomes us into her day with a morning stretch, a meal to fortify her for the day, and then she is off. The kitten practices a cat’s nose up, before she creeps up and then leaps up for a toy. If you ever wondered what a kitten does with her day, Up Cat will fill you in on all the fun and havoc. The story and text is simple, which can be the hardest to write. Can you imagine writing a children’s story with only 52 words? That is the number in Up Cat. The important word in each is the word up. Don’t let the simplicity fool you. Each story has a logical beginning and end, plus middle. Being repetitive, it helps the youngest kids gain confidence in their reading and a sense of mastery. They have humor, and entertain. I fell in love with Up Cat. The illustrations are as good, if not better, than any picture book out last year, and probably this year. I like the illustrations because they perfectly fit the two words on each page. The kitten is adorable with expressions only a cat can produce. I keep saying kitten when it is actually a cat. To me, it is too small with overly delicate features to be a cat, but that is a subjective opinion that has no bearing on the story. Cat or kitten, Up Cat is a lovely book that toddlers and young children will treasure. Your child will enjoy reading this beautiful charmer over, and over, and over. I think your child will open Up Cat often. I have. The book has 22 pages, made of thick card to outlast tough little hands, and colorfully inviting. Note: received book from publisher, Annick Press. http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/03/09/up-cat-up-dog-both-by-hazel-hutchins/