The Three Little Kittens

Publishers Weekly

A pair of books retells the tale of the famous feline trio. Anna Alter's soothing watercolor and colored pencil illustrations complement a new twist on The Three Little Kittens. Alter credits the loss of the kitten crew's belongings to a pack of mischievous mice. Cream-colored endpapers feature a pattern of pies and mittens. ( Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Children's Literature

This classic nursery rhyme is one that is remembered by all generations through the years. Anna Alter adds a playful character behind the kittens' lost mittens to make this version fun for preschooler children to listen to and follow along. The mitten thief can be found hiding on each page, just waiting to be discovered, but somehow, he slips away. Children will have fun trying to track him down in the pictures. The author/artist uses soft watercolors and colored pencils to create very simple yet appealing pictures. 2001, Henry Holt, $15.95. Ages 2 to 5. Reviewer: Sharon Tolle

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-In this abbreviated version of the traditional rhyme, pale watercolors portray a family of cats that unwittingly share a house with a family of light-fingered mice, the real culprits behind the missing mittens. Although not mentioned in the text (the words to the rhyme), at least one mouse is shown sneaking off the page, having filched something. When the kittens discover the thieves and report to their mother that they've recovered their missing mittens, they are rewarded with pie. Unrepentant, the mice steal a slice of their own to share among themselves, while they have already started taking the mittens back from the unsuspecting felines. The animals are portrayed in a soft style and are slightly anthropomorphized. Some wear a jacket or a dress, but others wear nothing. Sometimes the kittens walk on all fours, but other times they sit at a table and eat off plates with forks. The cats are round and squinty-eyed, giving them a somewhat dazed and sleepy appearance. Although other versions of this rhyme exist in picture-book form, especially Paul Galdone's Three Little Kittens (Clarion, 1986), Alter's interpretation is a worthy addition, especially in larger collections.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.