A Cat Named Swan

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 17, 2017

Review

Life on the streets can be tough, especially for an abandoned kitten. But this little kitten managed to survive. He found enough food to eat. He avoided the many dangers of a street life. One day his luck runs out and the kitten is taken by Animal Control to a shelter. He is safe and he thinks, "Boredom is better than misery". Soon the kitten is adopted by a kind and loving family. Although the kitten doesn't know this yet. He doesn't know what to expect. The family names him Swan. Slowly, Swan explores his new home and the outside surroundings. He gets more and more comfortable with his new family, including the dog. Soon, Swan realizes he is safe, loved and has a forever home with a kind, loving, indulging and caring family. And Swan even has a chance to cause a bit of mischief on the dog. Swan transforms from a woeful street cat to a playful, joyful and cuddly cat. This is a truly lovely story about how wonderful and important it is to adopt a cat from the shelter. The text is simple, straightforward and flows through the life of this kitten and into his new family. Rhyming text is not necessary here. The story and text speak for themselves. I'm not sure how the illustrations were created, but they are done in shades of browns when the kitten is abandoned and the streets and fending for itself. But when he is sent to the shelter and then adopted more color seeps into the story. Now there are happy colors of blues, reds, yellows and greens. The text and illustrations are matched perfectly. This is a great book to use in a unit for preschoolers through second graders on adopting a family pet. Pair with "The Lost Kitten" by Lee and "Pick a Pup" by Marsha Wilson Chall for a story time about animal adoption. Perhaps even round it off with a visit by your local animal shelter. This could also be paired with any number of cat or kitten stories for a feline story time. Say "Itty Bitty Kitty" by Joan Holub and "Kittens! Kitten! Kittens!" by Susan Meyers. This is a first purchase for most libraries, for general collections and feline collections.

Overall Book Score: excellent