ONE DARK NIGHT

As a thunderstorm draws closer and closer, pajama-clad Jonathan opens the door to a stray cat with something in her mouth. A mouse? No, it’s a kitten, “soft as whispers, gray as dawn.” The cat streaks back outside, to return with another kitten, “soft as stuffing, white as snow,” then, through pouring rain, a third, “wet as water, black as night.” Hartung (Dear Juno, 1999) alternates scenes of inky darkness, lit by flashes of lightning, with close-ups of the kittens and their mother, all of whom are seen at the end nestled cozily in a box atop Jonathan’s bed, “safe from the rain and the wind / and the rolling thunder . . . ” With suspense, compassion, kittens, and safety all rolled into one brief, comforting story, this is more than likely to become a popular bedtime choice—especially on stormy nights. (Picture book. 5-7)