Big Storm, The - Hardcover

Ages 4-7. Jeanette loves her cat, Kitty Doyle, who is "not only beautiful . . . but the best mouser on Selkirk Avenue." On school mornings, Kitty Doyle walks Jeanette to school, then, at the end of the day, walks her home. One blustery winter afternoon, Jeanette is lured to a friend's house by the promise of tasty latkes and forgets entirely about the spunky orange cat waiting for her in the snow. The colored pencil and watercolor illustrations evoke the gray-blue cold of winter as effectively as they depict the warmth and clutter of Jeanette's house and the delicatessen her parents own. Dramatic yet quiet, the pictures show Jeanette's distress as she realizes what's happened to her furry friend--and her relief when she learns that Kitty Doyle is going to be just fine. Touched with nostalgia, this warmhearted story is "purrfect" for a cold afternoon. Stephanie Zvirin

PreSchool-Grade 1-When Jeanette goes to a friend's house after school, she forgets about her cat, who always meets her at the corner. Trouble is, it's stormy, and by the time the child realizes her mistake and goes to find her pet, the animal is just a bump covered with snow and needs to be nursed back to health. The repentant little girl warms her pet and gives her milk and honey. The text is matter of fact, while Kovalski's fuzzy illustrations convey the wintery outside and the warmth inside the homes and shops. A story that teaches responsibility-or at least shows the consequences of being careless.
Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
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