"Kitten's First Full Moon" Review

Bibliographic Information:
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten’s First Full Moon. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN: 978-0-06-058828-1

Critical Analysis:
Eager and curious, Kitten is no match for the deceptive powers of the moon in this gentle picture book. On the night that Kitten sees her first full moon, she mistakes it for a bowl of milk. The book compassionately follows her adventure as she gets a bug on her tongue, falls down the steps, climbs a tree, and jumps into a pond – all in search of that illusive bowl of milk. Henkes sympathy is clear throughout, and when Kitten finally jumps into the pond the text reads, “Poor Kitten! She was wet and sad and tired and hungry,” with a picture of a wide-eyed, soaked Kitten that takes up the entire page. Children will relate to her misery (whom among us has not been miserable?) and will be happy at the end, when Kitten finds a bowl of milk waiting for her. The final page finds Kitten curled up, the moon above her, her empty bowl of milk below.

Henkes used gouache and colored pencil for this book, but at first glance I thought it was charcoal that was used for the simple, grey toned pictures. The pictures alternate between drawings framed with thick, black lines and unframed pictures with lots of white space. The feel of the entire book is soft, playful, and sleepy. A perfect, compassionate book for bedtime, I imagine that children will feel validated and comforted by Kitten’s misadventures.

Review Excerpts:

Booklist Review: “Working in bold black lines and the silvery palette of moonlight, he creates a lovable, expressive character in the determined kitten, and his dramatic contrasts of light and dark capture the excitement of a nighttime adventure.”

CCBC Review: “This gentle picture book feels transported from an earlier era. Reminiscent of the writing of Margaret Wise Brown, its deceptively simple language and masterful pacing transcend time.”

Awards:

* Caldecott Medal
* Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)
* Charlotte Zolotow Award
* ALA Notable Children’s Book
* Texas 2X2 Reading List
* Book Sense Pick


Connections:
Two texts that examine childhood stressors and bedtime comforts are: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber.