Publishers Weekly
Tanya Linch's faithful adaptation of Three Little Kittens takes a visual leap, depicting the cats in chunky, geometric forms. Friezes bordering several spreads feature pie-making necessities: eggs, whisk and mixing bowl, baking dish and serving spoon. ( Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
The story is basically the same and the lesson is the same. So what makes this version different from the rest? The cute, folksy illustrations, the comical, colorful cats and the clever attention to detail¾that is what is different. These elements create the charm of the book and that is what we like. Each page provides an eyeful of delight if one is willing to spend a bit of extra time just looking. This well-known story is always a favorite and youngsters will be greatly entertained with this amusing account. 2001, Gullane, $ 12.95. Ages 2 to 4. Reviewer: Trina Heidt
School Library Journal
PreS-K-In this charming version of the beloved rhyme, Linch sticks to the traditional tale. The mischievous little kittens still fess up to losing and, later, dirtying their mittens. Of course, they also find and wash them. And their mother still forgives them each time, indulging them with pie. The wording is a little different from other versions, but not enough to change the story. The crayon-and-chalk pictures are playful with folk-style borders and subtle colors and are large enough to be seen at a distance. This version of the ever-popular rhyme makes a great addition to storyhour collections.-Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Linch (My Duck, 2000, etc.) gives this oddly-written, deceptively simple folk ditty a playful tone with illustrations featuring a trio of chunky, earth-colored felines sporting comically ingenuous expressions and brightly colored, striped or polka-dotted, paw gear. Using the longer length, she offers a chance for mother to scold and teach her lesson more than once and for that pie to arrive on the scene several times. An opportunistic mouse puts in an occasional appearance too, and borders of slotted spoons and other kitchenware add to the general atmosphere of cozy domesticity. Compared to Paul Galdone's rendition (1986), the intensity, both of youthful remorse and parental anger, has been toned down, but the quick succession of changes rung on the theme of suffering consequences, or earning rewards, for one's behavior still come through with unmistakable clarity. (Picture book. 2-4)
