Yoda was one unhappy Persian cat. Taken to the animal shelter when his people could no longer care for him, he was emaciated and unwell, sadly watching all the other cats get adopted. Then one day the unexpected happened: a nice lady named Beth came and took him home with her! Despite this change in circumstance, Yoda remained unhappy, until he discovered four little foster kittens, also being cared for by Beth, who needed a Papa Cat to keep them in line...

Although I tend to avoid children's books authored (or co-authored, as is the case here) by celebrities - it isn't that they are never any good, it's simply that one is a little skeptical of the rigor of the selection and editing process, given the fame of the author - I ended up quite enjoying Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens. The story itself is quite sweet, the ending heartwarming, and I particularly appreciated that the feline hero is based on a real cat that Beth Stern adopted. I also appreciated the fact that Stern is donating all of her proceeds from the book to an animal charity. The accompanying artwork by Devin Crane is colorful and cute, in a cartoon-like way, and adds to the fun. All in all, an engaging tale, one I would recommend to anyone looking for picture-books featuring cats in general, or rescue animals in particular. ( )