Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten's First Full Moon. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow Books.
ISBN 0060588284

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk and tries different ways to get to it.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Henkes's tale of a kitten who mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk will capture a young reader's attention by his gouache and colored pencils illustrations. The simplicity of black and white will compare to a real night adventure. The layout of large illustrations and text makes for an easy and fast read. The expression on Kitten's face after a misadventure will entertain the reader. Also Henke has captured characteristics of a cat that will bring a smile to a young child.

4. AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCEPTS
Caldecott Medal

From School Library Journal
"An irresistible offering from the multifaceted Henkes".-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* "Henkes' text, reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's work in the elemental words, rhythms, and appealing sounds, tells a warm, humorous story that's beautifully extended in his shimmering, gray-toned artwork."
-Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

5. CONNECTIONS
"Pair this tale with Frank Asch's classic Moongame (S & S, 1987) and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace's The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Houghton, 2003) for nocturnal celebrations."-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

This book will be an excellent choice for story time. Listeners can participate with repetition and/or echoing the phrases of "Poor Kitten". Storytellers can initiate predicting thinking.

In a pre-school environment which uses learning centers and /or thematic lessons, this book will emphasize the themes of moon, milk, cats/kittens, and night.