How to Love a Kitten

by Michelle Meadows, Sawyer Cloud (Illustrator)

In this charming rhymed Beginner Book follow-up to How to Love a Pony— a girl finds a lost cat and her kittens on her family farm, and learns to care for them while looking for their owner. A perfect choice for animal-lovers learing to read!

On a sunny day at her family's horse farm, seven-year-old Lily makes an enchanting discovery under the farmhouse a mother cat and her adorable kittens! With her family by her side and some guidance from a caring veterinarian, Lily takes on the heartwarming mission of caring for the little feline family. As she searches for their rightful owner, she not only finds a new friend but learns invaluable lessons about love, responsibility, and the pure joy of unexpected friendships. Dive into this beautifully illustrated tale, and you might just find yourself reading it again and again!

Genres: Cats, Picture Books, Animals

48 pages, Hardcover

Published May 7, 2024

About the author

Michelle Meadows is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR: One Girl Can Make a Difference, MAXIE WIZ AND HER DRAGON, HOW TO LOVE A PONY, FLYING HIGH: The Story of Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles and BRAVE BALLERINA: The Story of Janet Collins. Michelle also contributed research and writing to BLACK BALLERINAS: My Journey to Our Legacy by Misty Copeland. Michelle graduated from Syracuse University with a dual degree in journalism and literature. She is represented by literary agent Rosemary Stimola of the Stimola Literary Studio. Michelle grew up in Washington D.C. and now lives near the beach in Delaware with her husband.

Website: www.michellemeadows.com

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its colorful illustrations featuring a caring family with brown skin and accessible, rhyming text, not to mention its subject matter, this Beginner Book is perfect for youngsters who are just beginning to read independently. While playing ball on the farm, a young girl finds four kittens and their mother while searching for a lost ball. The youngster's grandfather shows her how to carefully gather up the kittens and then call a vet to examine them. When it turns out that the mama cat has a collar, the girl posts notices around the neighborhood. She also feeds them, reads stories to them, and introduces them to the other animals on the farm. When the cat's owners arrive, the girl makes a new friend to add to her new feline friends. This adorable book will probably prompt every reader to wish for his/her/their own kitten or two. After all, one can never have too many cats.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: On the farm, we run and play. I kick the ball. It rolls away. Under the porch, I bend down low. No ball in sight. Where did it go? A broken toy. A silver pail. Then something moves. Is that a tail? I call out, "Hey--Look what I found! Four kittens and a cat curled around."

Premise/plot: A young girl [and her family] finds a mama cat with new kittens. The family "rescue" her and help care for the mama cat and all the kittens. They are hopeful that they will find the owner of the mama cat since she has a collar and is super-friendly (as opposed to feral). Will all the cats find homes?

My thoughts: This is an enjoyable beginning reader. This is an "I Can Read It All By Myself" beginning book. It stars plenty of ADORABLE, SWEET, LOVABLE kitties. This would be a good fit for anyone who enjoys cat or kitten stories.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an I Can read It All By Myself Cat in the Hat Beginner Book. Using limited rhymed verse, it tells the story of a young girl who discovers a cat and her kittens. When weather seems to threaten the cats, they are gathered up, checked over by the vet and cared for at the young girl's house. A successful effort is made to find the owner of the cat and as reward the young girl keeps two of the kittens and makes a new friend. This book has a very accessible text for young readers, and it invites reading along opportunities.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love kittens, right? This sweet little story is perfect for reading aloud to young kids—or letting them showcase their own reading skills! With just a few words per page, it’s simple yet full of heart, teaching gentle lessons about love, friendship, and responsibility. The vintage-style illustrations are absolutely adorable, and I really appreciated the touch of diversity with a main character who’s a person of color. It’s a cozy, feel-good read that’ll have everyone smiling—kittens included!

[Tayler K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable!

A girl finds kittens under the porch on their farm. They bring the family inside, get them checked by a vet, and put up posters because Mama Cat has a collar but with a missing tag. Eventually the family calls and comes to pick up Mama Cat. They have a little girl two. Each girl keeps two kittens and they become friends.

Y'all know I love good endpapers in picture books and this one has lots of fun kitten scenes.

[Jarno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about Lily and her family that did a
Resume of the rescue litter of rescuing kittens. They
Also searched for mama’s cat’s owner.
In the beginning the were on a farm playing Soccer. They kicked the ball and it rolled away.
In the middle Lily read a book to a cow. The cow went
Moo and the kittens took a look.
In the ending Lily and her friend wored dresses. They
Had a kitten tea party.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👧🏻 review: this rhyming verse or couplet writing style is quite catchy and fun. I tried reading this out loud and I was quite impressed with the way it sounded. This fascinating book about loving a cat is an excellent intro book for beginner readers to read out loud and rhyming the words like singsong. It is a fun book that I know I would love to read it to the kindergartners and 1st graders when I have my read out loud sessions at the library. They’ll definitely enjoy this book.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why did the mom cat and her kittens need to be taken to the vet, when they were discovered under the porch? The mom was taking perfectly good care of them. 😆 Over all this is a fairly unrealistic look at country life. The little girl having story time in the pasture with the cows? With her kittens sitting in a basket?!🤣

[Brittany Zembala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish it had full sentences. Maybe I am just old fashioned. I don’t like that the book has periods at the end of phrases. When books don’t follow proper English grammar rules, it is more difficult for my first grader to understand that a sentence must include a verb.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations bring this delightful introduction to caring for kittens to life.

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute! Reminds me of when I was little and had to crawl under the house to rescue some puppies.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A found litter and their mama delight a girl.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book didn't give my 8 year old daughter any trouble.

[Carol Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute, rhyming picture book about a little girl who finds a mother cat and kittens living underneath her porch. The illustrations are very nicely done, the rhyme scheme is infectious, and the story is pleasant ... it describes kitten behavior, the care of kittens, and what to do if one finds a stray cat that clearly belongs to someone. At the end of the story, two little girls have become friends, and each one will keep two kittens who will keep each other company.
On top of all that, it is a "I can read it all by myself" book that should appeal to young readers who love animals.