The Littlest Christmas Kitten is a child's picture book which emphasizes the brief moments in a stable where something special happened--a baby was born--and only the animals were there to witness the event.

The illustrations done by Kelly Dupre reminded me of other picture books I've seen with a wood cut motif. Black is used as a contrasting outline color to the watercolor earth tones of the scenes. The cartoon-like drawings are light-hearted enough to catch a child's eye. They are simple yet convey a great deal of emotion as the events unfold. The children reading this book would easily identify with the mother cat while she hunts for her missing kitten. In the meantime, the book successfully communicates the cozy atmosphere of the humble stable into which the Christ child was born. Without expressing the idea in words, the reader senses the anticipation of a few moments frozen in time: the tableau of the first Christmas.

The most interesting part of the book for the adults is the section after the story which tell the story of the meaning of Christmas symbols, including the tradition of Christmas cats. This part is a great reminder to parents and grandparents and other caregivers to teach our children the true message of Christmas, that Jesus came to earth for a reason.

I highly recommend this picture book for your collection of Christmas related stories.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Book Crash on behalf of the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )

It is no secret that I am a big fan of cats. I have a new kitten who is into everything. Her middle school stage is in full force! So when offered a cat themed book to review, I always jump at the chance. The Littlest Christmas Kitten by Leona Novy Jackson and illustrated by Kelly Dupre would be a sweet addition to your family’s Christmas reading.

The Littlest Christmas Kitten is an attractive children’s book targeted towards children ages 4-7. It tells the story of a momma cat frantically looking for her lost kitten. The story takes place in a stable filled with animals many, many years ago. But this book isn’t just about a lost one found, it is also about the birth of Jesus and the wonder of that night over 2000 years ago. The story is simple and the beautiful wood block illustrations enhance the feeling of a story from old. And while there is no mention of cats in the Biblical narrative, it isn’t so hard to imagine a momma barn cat and her kittens being present at the birth of Christ.

While I liked the simple story of a kitten as a backdrop to the Nativity, I really loved the author’s additional information on the many symbols of Christmas included in the back of the book. This offers another opportunity for parents to talk about the real meaning of Christmas. There is even an entry on cats with very important info on what is good and not so good for the cat members of your family during the holiday season. As the wife of veterinarian, I believe this is invaluable for all pet owners.

So if you are looking for a book to reinforce the true meaning of Christmas as well as please your special little cat lover, then definitely check out The Littlest Christmas Kitten.

Recommended.

Audience: children ages 4-7.

(Thanks to Book Crash for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

I thought this was a cute take on the famous story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The pictures in this book are very colorful and just jump off the pages. Yet the pictures were simple. Which I liked. This helps keep little children's interest on the story and not to become so distracted with what is happening in the pictures. Plus, I like that the words were on one page on a white background. I have read many children's books where the words are written on the pages with the pictures or on a darker background and it makes it hard to read the story. The words are not too big that younger children could not read this book by themselves. This is a book that children will want to read again and again. I liked this book so much that I will be checking out more books by this author. The cat family was so adorable. Mom cat loved her family. Just like Mary and Joseph loved their new son, Jesus. In the back of the book the author did a glossary of Christmas symbols. Each one had a picture and a nice description to explain what the pictures were and what they represented. ( )

This book is perfect for children, cat lovers, and Christmas Eve story time. This is the story of a mama cat searching for her lost kitten in the stable on a cold night in December. She looks looks high and low in the stable, in the loft, under the manger, in the cubby holes but is unable to find her baby. When a man and a woman enter the stable the mama cat quickly hides in the manger where she finds her kitten fast asleep! Mama carries the kitten off to be with the rest of the cats and before long the woman who entered the barn gives birth to a baby and puts her son in the manger where the kitten had just been sleeping. All the animals looked on reverently because they knew that this baby was special. The cats had shared the manger with baby Jesus! As the tale concludes, "Now, down through the history of cat kingdom, Mother and Father cats tell this story to their kittens. They tell about the night Baby Jesus slept in the same manger the little kitten had found for its bed."

This Christmas story will give a different perspective of that sacred night to children who will be able to view it through another creature's eyes. Two miracles occurred that night, the mother cat found her kitten and Baby Jesus was born. Miracles, no matter how small, can take place if we only believe. This is a great story for parents and grandparents to share with children to get a close up view of what happened on Christmas Eve. The accompanying illustrations are vibrant and rich and seem to jump off the page. A must for any Christmas book collection!

I received this book for free from Book Crash in return for my honest, unbiased opinion. ( )