BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
Book Title: The Loneliest Kitten (available here)
Author: Holly Webb
Illustrator: Sophy Williams
Publisher: Stripes
Publication Date: July 2019
Reviewed by: Chris Whitney, Literacy Consultant
The Loneliest Kitten is a new story from best-selling author Holly Webb. It is perfect for those children that love to read stories about animals, especially pets and even more so – kittens!
The main characters, Darcy and Will, are excited when they are taken one day to an animal rescue centre to choose a pet. The book includes conversations between parents and children that discuss the need for the rescue centre to allow families to take the cats after a thorough check and when they are sure that the animals will be looked after well. So it happens that the family bring home a kitten – and call him Charlie.
Charlie settles in and loves the company of the children. However, the summer holidays do not last forever and when term starts life is very different for Charlie. Darcy is chosen to play for her school football team and with all her other activities after school, she doesn’t have time to play with a pet anymore. The kitten soon realises that things are not the same. Sad, lonely and bored he wanders over the back wall and meets an old lady who makes a big fuss of him – so much so that he decides to stay the night and then the next one too.
When Charlie doesn’t return home at all, Darcy gets worried. What has happened to him? Will he ever come back? The family launch a search for Charlie and eventually find him next door. The lesson has been learned. Darcy realises that they have forgotten how much they wanted a kitten and how that means giving their pet some special time. Charlie returns home, but this time he has made a special friend next door.
The text is punctuated with black and white illustrations that highlight important moments in the story. This book is perfectly pitched for those children who are beginning to gain confidence in reading alone and who are building stamina before they tackle longer novels.
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You can order The Loneliest Kitten online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to Review Panel member Chris for reviewing it.
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