DAVID AND THE KITTENS
by Robert Westall & illustrated by William Geldart
Furbles is about to have kittens. David’s Gran patiently and expertly explains each step, from the cat getting ready to give birth, through the four kittens’ maturation that eventually leads to their adoption. But no one wants the white female, who, in an emotionally satisfying conclusion, becomes David’s cat to pet and love. Playful and active kittens populate the colorful pictures, which avoid sentimentality because of their realistic nature. Children don’t see the actual birth. That makes this gentle story, first published in a British anthology of cat stories and poems, Cat’s Whispers and Tails (1996), suitable for young listeners, who should be enthralled with the kittens’ rapid growth from “tiny, mouse-like” things to creatures who “purr like little bees” and “spit like little fireworks.” A tidy, well-put together package. (Picture book. 3-7)