KITTEN'S FIRST FULL MOON

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Henkes, Kevin. 2004. Kitten’s First Full Moon. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780060588298

PLOT SUMMARY:
Kitten mistakes the full moon she sees for the first time for a bowl full of milk which she really wants. Her persistent attempts to reach her goal only leave her wet, exhausted and hungry. When she returns to her home after her tiring attempts, she happily finds what she wanted all along.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Henkes’ simply black and white drawings lend to the charmingly simple story by expressing the emotions of anyone trying over and over to attain something they really, really want. The bright white kitten and big, full moon create an engaging contrast against the soft, black night and lend a large part of the telling of this simple storyline following Kitten’s attempts. The expressive illustrations of the naive kitten alternating with the simple phrase, “Still, there was the bowl of milk, just waiting”, lead the reader along the frustrating journey.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Booklist starred (February 15, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 12))
Working in bold black lines and the silvery palette of moonlight, he creates a lovable, expressive character in the determined kitten, and his dramatic contrasts of light and dark capture the excitement of a nighttime adventure.


Kirkus starred (February 15, 2004)
. A keen sense of design uses double spreads and panels to depict the action and Kitten's puzzlement.

2005 Caldecott Award Winner

CONNECTIONS:
Kevin Henkes, long known for his mouse characters in Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse, now takes on the character of a charming little kitten. This cute story will delight early elementary readers and could be used as a springboard for a character lesson on perserverance.