KITTEN’S SPRING

“Morning hums, / Kitten listens.” A calico kitten spends a spring day romping through the countryside and the farmyard. “Chicken clucks, / Chick scratches. / Duck quacks, / Duckling hatches.” Kitten chases a puppy and spies a swallow. She plays hide-and-seek with a mousie and laps milk with a piglet. She watches an owlet have dinner and a lamb take its first steps. Until “Evening whispers, / Moonlight beams. / Door opens, / Kitten dreams.” Canadian author and illustrator Fernandes outdoes herself with this simple series kick-off; the self-hardening-clay–and–mixed-media collage spot and full-bleed illustrations are intricate and adorably three-dimensional. For cat lovers, the kitten asleep, belly-up, on the final page will be worth the price of admission. Animals mentioned in the spare rhyming text are only a few of Kitten’s playmates. Storytimers and lap-sitters will enjoy naming the familiar feathered and furred faces and mimicking their sounds. Kitten also likes to hide, making this an interactive read sure to please the youngest farm fans. (Picture book. 1-4)