Catch!

by Trish Cooke, Ken Wilson-Max (illustrator)

'It was a hot sunny afternoon. Mum and Kiona were playing catch.' First Kiona tries to catch a ball - but the ball is too big and she can't slip her arms around it| Then she tries to catch a berry - but it's too small and she can't see it| She keeps trying to catch things, but has no joy till her mum thinks of the perfect thing that Kiona can catch . she can catch a kiss| A critically acclaimed and heart-warming story perfected by Ken Wilson-Max's bright and bold illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Trish Cooke is a British playwright, actress, television presenter, scriptwriter and children's author who might be best known for being a presenter on the children's series Playdays. She also wrote under the pseudonym Roselia John Baptiste.

Reviews

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and sweet; a story of a parent and child shared activity that does not feel artificially constructed.
I love Ken Wilson-Max illustrations--they are ideal for the early childhood audience and this is no exception.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mother tries to play catch with her toddler who can't catch anything.

This story features the classic childhood game catch and a positive mother-daughter relationship.

The illustrations were done in acrylic.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and structured sequencing with a sweet lil' ending.

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5+

Sweet story about Kiona and her mom playing catch with various items throughout the day, ending with a kiss that is just the right size.

[Beronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for a Pre-K visit

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe how many of the CLEL Bell nominees I read and say "sweet". This one is that and I think will appeal to caregivers perhaps more than the kids.