The Lost Kitten

PreS-Gr 2–When a stray kitten tumbles out of a grocery bag her father brings home, Emilia asks to keep it. However, he believes the well-fed creature might belong to a neighbor, so they put the kitten in a box and set off to make inquiries. None of the friends they visit own the little feline, though, and most give Emilia objects for the animal: a blanket, toy, and yarn. After each visit, the girl repeats her request to keep the kitten, her hopes progressively rising. But when they return home, they find Luis and his mother. Luis’s kitten is missing, so Emilia, eyes closed in her disappointment, holds the box out to him. But joy, the kitten is not his, and Emilia gets to keep it. A jumble of houses surrounds the large white outline of a kitten on the cover of this long narrow book. The mixed media illustrations within are executed in a palette consisting mostly of blue, gray, and black, except for the standout orange cat. The houses the pair visit are close together and have interesting shapes, tiles, and grill work. A large cat statue on a pedestal stands in front. There are close-ups (one shows the girl addressing her larger-than-life father), aerial views, and interesting angles. Luis is a dark-skinned boy who rejoices with white Emilia over her newfound pet.