Title: Kitten’s First Full Moon
Author/Illustrator: Henkes, Kevin
Publisher and Date: Green willow Books, 2004
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: K-2
2005 Caldecott Medal Winner
Author/Illustrator: Henkes, Kevin
Publisher and Date: Green willow Books, 2004
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: K-2
2005 Caldecott Medal Winner
Summary: It’s Kitten’s first full moon and she is a little confused about what exactly a full moon is. She mistakenly thinks that the full moon is a full bowl of milk. She tries to lick it, chase it, jump on it, and climb a tree to reach it, but nothing works. Exhausted, hungry, and sad kitten returns home to find a full bowl of milk waiting for her on the porch outside.
Response: I immediately fell in love with this book! Kitten was so adorable yet so determined! Through her action she teaches readers to have persistence. She did everything she could to reach “the bowl of milk” in the sky, and only when she exhausted all of her options did she finally give up! I have two cats and I know the great lengths they will go to for their food! Henkes did a great job of making this book simple yet believable. Young readers will especially love the simple, sometimes repetitive text coupled with the gouache and colored pencil illustrations. The final page of the book is probably my favorite. Kitten looks so satisfied and happy with her full bowl of milk.
Teaching Ideas: This would be a great book to read with young children. Some of the pages asked questions that kids would jump to answer. For example, the page where kitten is stuck up in the tree asks, “what could she do?’ Kids would have the best time hypothesizing what kitten should do next. Young children could also read the repetitive phrases in the book along with you. For example, they could repeat with you, “Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting.” Older children could write their own story about a kitten using this book as a guide.
Response: I immediately fell in love with this book! Kitten was so adorable yet so determined! Through her action she teaches readers to have persistence. She did everything she could to reach “the bowl of milk” in the sky, and only when she exhausted all of her options did she finally give up! I have two cats and I know the great lengths they will go to for their food! Henkes did a great job of making this book simple yet believable. Young readers will especially love the simple, sometimes repetitive text coupled with the gouache and colored pencil illustrations. The final page of the book is probably my favorite. Kitten looks so satisfied and happy with her full bowl of milk.
Teaching Ideas: This would be a great book to read with young children. Some of the pages asked questions that kids would jump to answer. For example, the page where kitten is stuck up in the tree asks, “what could she do?’ Kids would have the best time hypothesizing what kitten should do next. Young children could also read the repetitive phrases in the book along with you. For example, they could repeat with you, “Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting.” Older children could write their own story about a kitten using this book as a guide.
1 comment:
Hi Kerry,
It is great to see you referencing the artistic media used by Henkes. His use of gouche is different from the "mice books." I am pleased you took advantage of the predictability and repetition of the text as you discussed your teaching suggestions...excellent!
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