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A Box Full of Kittens
Ruthie loves Superman.
Ruthie wants to be Superman.
And when Ruthie is asked to go spend the afternoon with her aunt, who is about to have a baby any day day now and may need some help., Ruthie seizes the opportunity. It could be her chance to be a hero, should the baby come while she's visiting! But when Ruthie is out fetching a snack for her aunt, she gets so distracted by a box full of kittens in the bodega that she doesn't hear her aunt calling for her, nor does she notice the policemen running to the apartment or the ambulance pulling to the curb. When she realizes what's happened, she's devastated -- she's missed her one chance to be a hero! Or has she?
Sonia Manzano, best known as "Maria" on Sesame Street, once again captures the warmth, love, and adventures of her childhood Bronx neighborhood.
Ruthie wants to be Superman.
And when Ruthie is asked to go spend the afternoon with her aunt, who is about to have a baby any day day now and may need some help., Ruthie seizes the opportunity. It could be her chance to be a hero, should the baby come while she's visiting! But when Ruthie is out fetching a snack for her aunt, she gets so distracted by a box full of kittens in the bodega that she doesn't hear her aunt calling for her, nor does she notice the policemen running to the apartment or the ambulance pulling to the curb. When she realizes what's happened, she's devastated -- she's missed her one chance to be a hero! Or has she?
Sonia Manzano, best known as "Maria" on Sesame Street, once again captures the warmth, love, and adventures of her childhood Bronx neighborhood.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Manzano
25 books87 followersSonia Manzano (born June 12, 1950) is an American actress and writer. She is best known for playing Maria on Sesame Street from 1971 until her retirement in 2015.
Manzano was born in New York City and was raised in South Bronx. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. Manzano attended the High School of Performing Arts, where she began her acting career. She attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on a scholarship.
In her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show GodspellManzano joined the production of Sesame Street in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. On June 29, 2015, it was announced that Manzano would be retiring from the show after 44 years.
She has performed on the New York stage, in the critically acclaimed theatre pieces The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated. She has written for the Peabody Award-winning children's series, Little Bill, and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called "Talking Outloud".
In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Manzano's name and picture.
Her children's book No Dogs Allowed, published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in 2004, is one of five books selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories". As part of that effort, Manzano is working with General Mills and its nonprofit partner, First Book, to encourage children to read and to help children across the United States gain access to books. The book has been adapted as a stage play. She is also the author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (2014).
She has served on the March of Dimes Board; the board of the George Foster Peabody Awards; and the board of a New York City theatrical institution, Symphony Space. She is a member of the board of advisors of the Project Sunshine Book Club. She was featured in the Learning Leaders (volunteers helping students succeed) poster, designed to encourage reading in NYC public schools.
Manzano was nominated twice for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. As a writer for Sesame Street, Manzano won 15 Emmy Awards. In 2004, she was inducted into the Bronx Hall of Fame.
Manzano has received awards from the Association of Hispanic Arts, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education in 2003, and the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders in 2005. She received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from University of Notre Dame in 2005. As in Ms. Manzano's case, a D.F.A. is typically an honorary degree conferred to someone who has made a significant contribution to society in the arts. The Dream Big Initiative of the Bronx Children's Museum honored Manzano in 2014.
Manzano resides in the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband Richard Reagan, whom she married in 1986, and their daughter Gabriella.
(from Wikipedia)
Manzano was born in New York City and was raised in South Bronx. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. Manzano attended the High School of Performing Arts, where she began her acting career. She attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh on a scholarship.
In her junior year, she came to New York to star in the original production of the off-Broadway show GodspellManzano joined the production of Sesame Street in 1971, where she eventually began writing scripts for the series. On June 29, 2015, it was announced that Manzano would be retiring from the show after 44 years.
She has performed on the New York stage, in the critically acclaimed theatre pieces The Vagina Monologues and The Exonerated. She has written for the Peabody Award-winning children's series, Little Bill, and has written a parenting column for the Sesame Workshop web site called "Talking Outloud".
In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Manzano's name and picture.
Her children's book No Dogs Allowed, published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in 2004, is one of five books selected by the General Mills initiative "Spoonfuls of Stories". As part of that effort, Manzano is working with General Mills and its nonprofit partner, First Book, to encourage children to read and to help children across the United States gain access to books. The book has been adapted as a stage play. She is also the author of The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano (2014).
She has served on the March of Dimes Board; the board of the George Foster Peabody Awards; and the board of a New York City theatrical institution, Symphony Space. She is a member of the board of advisors of the Project Sunshine Book Club. She was featured in the Learning Leaders (volunteers helping students succeed) poster, designed to encourage reading in NYC public schools.
Manzano was nominated twice for an Emmy Award as Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series. As a writer for Sesame Street, Manzano won 15 Emmy Awards. In 2004, she was inducted into the Bronx Hall of Fame.
Manzano has received awards from the Association of Hispanic Arts, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education in 2003, and the "Groundbreaking Latina Lifetime Achievement" award from the National Association of Latina Leaders in 2005. She received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree from University of Notre Dame in 2005. As in Ms. Manzano's case, a D.F.A. is typically an honorary degree conferred to someone who has made a significant contribution to society in the arts. The Dream Big Initiative of the Bronx Children's Museum honored Manzano in 2014.
Manzano resides in the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband Richard Reagan, whom she married in 1986, and their daughter Gabriella.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 6, 2008
Sonia Manzano, also known as Maria from Sesame Street, writes a charming tale about a young Puerto Rican girl named Ruthie in a 1950’s Bronx neighborhood. The colorful watercolor and pencil illustrations complement this story about helping others. This would work well as a read aloud with k-2nd graders.
Positively reviewed in Booklist and SLJ.
Positively reviewed in Booklist and SLJ.
February 2, 2023
You’re gonna call this “A Box Full of Kittens” and not even tell me what happens to them in the end????
Cruelty at its peak.
Cruelty at its peak.
November 7, 2013
Our girls love cats and kittens, so when I saw the cover of this book at our local library, I just had to borrow it. I was a little worried when I saw that the story was written by "Maria" from Sesame Street, since I feared that our girls would consider the story too babyish, but I needn't have been concerned.
This is an entertaining tale about the busy activities on a city street (presumably New York City) and the myriad people who interact with one another each day. When Ruthie is sent to help her aunt and is distracted from her task by a box full of kittens, she misses out on a lot. In the end we discover that Ruthie is still a hero for being so helpful.
The colorful watercolor and pencil illustrations complement this story nicely and we loved seeing the different colors and flavors of the city street. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together.
This is an entertaining tale about the busy activities on a city street (presumably New York City) and the myriad people who interact with one another each day. When Ruthie is sent to help her aunt and is distracted from her task by a box full of kittens, she misses out on a lot. In the end we discover that Ruthie is still a hero for being so helpful.
The colorful watercolor and pencil illustrations complement this story nicely and we loved seeing the different colors and flavors of the city street. Overall, it was a fun book to read aloud and we enjoyed reading it together.
February 26, 2018
I'm wondering if this is an episode from the author's childhood and guessing from the context that she is my age, as she imagines herself as the Superman hero that she watches on television. The story is one that celebrates both family and neighborhood. I confess I enjoyed the spanish nouns sprinkled throughout the text, such as "piraquero", "coquito", and "esperate"--all of which are decipherable in context and especially with the help of the illustrations.
April 14, 2010
Engaging and well-written. Plus, what kid doesn't want to read a story about a box full of kittens? But after closing the book the last time we read it, Hazel said, "Mommy, I think it needs to be called 'About the Baby' instead," if that gives you a hint about what the real theme of the story is.
October 27, 2010
I watched this book on a DVD. It was not animated. It showed the actual illustrations from the book. The story was read by the author and she really made it come to life. Since there were a lot of Spanish words in the story, it was nice to hear how the words were pronounced.
March 27, 2015
OK story; was expecting more of a focus on the kittens.
July 13, 2016
Read for 5427 class
July 17, 2024
Summary:
"A Box Full of Kittens" by Sonia Manzano is a heartwarming children's book that tells the story of a young girl named Monica who discovers a box of kittens abandoned on the street. Feeling compassionate, Monica takes the kittens home and cares for them, despite her mother's initial reluctance. As Monica nurtures the kittens, she learns valuable lessons about responsibility, empathy, and the importance of kindness towards animals" (ChatGPT, July 15, 2024).
Commentary:
This story does a great job of nurturing the idea that helping other is important. We follow a little girl and her journeys that her pregnant aunt asks her for. This story has a lot of Spanish vocabulary impended within in. This story is a great way for bilingual students to build their ability to understand this story through these words. This story also spread a message about being kind to animals.
Application:
I would use this story as a read aloud in my classroom and have my students talk about a time that they saw a stray animal on the street and what we could do to help the people and animals around us. We could also have the students to an activity that has then color or draw the different treats that Monicas aunt had her go get. They could also write out the word of this food in English in Spanish.
"A Box Full of Kittens" by Sonia Manzano is a heartwarming children's book that tells the story of a young girl named Monica who discovers a box of kittens abandoned on the street. Feeling compassionate, Monica takes the kittens home and cares for them, despite her mother's initial reluctance. As Monica nurtures the kittens, she learns valuable lessons about responsibility, empathy, and the importance of kindness towards animals" (ChatGPT, July 15, 2024).
Commentary:
This story does a great job of nurturing the idea that helping other is important. We follow a little girl and her journeys that her pregnant aunt asks her for. This story has a lot of Spanish vocabulary impended within in. This story is a great way for bilingual students to build their ability to understand this story through these words. This story also spread a message about being kind to animals.
Application:
I would use this story as a read aloud in my classroom and have my students talk about a time that they saw a stray animal on the street and what we could do to help the people and animals around us. We could also have the students to an activity that has then color or draw the different treats that Monicas aunt had her go get. They could also write out the word of this food in English in Spanish.
October 2, 2021
I just wish there was a hand washing scene before she visited the pregnant lady and held the newborn after touching the kitties. I ran around with strays when I was little, but I think the hygiene police kicked in when Mom went through nursing school. So, not sure if I'd even have done the same in my family, but I would, now.
September 23, 2020
The pacing is a little off, common with actors who write children's books, but it's not bad and many kids should be able to relate.
April 13, 2024
Manzano Street #4
Kid wanting tio be hero but what does that mean?
And being a hero may happen in ways you don't know or expect.
Kid wanting tio be hero but what does that mean?
And being a hero may happen in ways you don't know or expect.
March 29, 2024
After seeing who the author was and being a former Sesame Street fan myself, I was excited to read this book. However, after reading the book all I can really say is that I enjoyed the illustrations but I was expecting the book to talk about the kittens more than it did.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews