A KITTEN TALE

Once there were four kittens who had never seen snow. The first kitten says, “Snow scares me!” The second kitten says, “Freezing cold!” The third kitten says, “Cold to the tips of our tails!” But the fourth kitten says, “I can’t wait!” All through summer and autumn, the three kittens worry and the fourth one can’t wait. Then one winter morning they awaken to snow. As the fourth kitten laughs, jumps and rolls in it, the other three look at each other and say, “We’ll be right out!” Grinning and licking snowflakes, the fourth kitten replies, “I can’t wait.” The spare text is charmingly illustrated with simple black-lined kittens, minimally delineated scenes and white bordered spreads that frame the colorful felines. Not naming the kittens is a clever and shrewd stroke, enabling the artwork to imbue each cat with personality by its color, feline antics and expressions. Preschoolers will, no doubt, choose their own names for them. A winner for a winter storytime, this is as amusing as watching real kittens romp. (Picture book. 3-6)