P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ S E P T E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 0 8

Katie Loves the Kittens

John Himmelman. Holt, $14.95 (32p) ISBN

978-0-8050-8626-9

This sweet book tells the story of a

dog—that’s Katie—who is utterly infatuated

with her owner’s new kittens.

“Aroooooo!” howls Katie eagerly whenever

she sees the tiny felines, but her vocalizing,

leaping and avid tail-wagging only

scare the living daylights out of them.

Katie learns, after some setbacks (readers

will totally sympathize), that desperately

wanting to make friends is not necessarily

a good starting point; sometimes, it’s

better to let the other side take the lead.

Himmelman’s (Chickens to the Rescue) empathetic,

economical text builds dramatic

tension and the audience’s identification

with Katie without an excess of anthropomorphizing.

The pencil and ink drawings

evince the same combination of craft

and tenderness. Katie is the very picture

of openheartedness, confusion and contrition,

and readers will root for her from

the very first page. Ages 3–8. (Sept.)