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The Color Kittens
A classic Little Golden Book by the author of Goodnight Moon !
Once there were two color kittens with green eyes, Brush and Hush . . . So goes the rollicking tale of two pouncy kittens who make all the colors in the world. First published seventy years ago, this classic Little Golden Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by the legendary Alice and Martin Provensen continues to charm generation after generation.
Once there were two color kittens with green eyes, Brush and Hush . . . So goes the rollicking tale of two pouncy kittens who make all the colors in the world. First published seventy years ago, this classic Little Golden Book by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by the legendary Alice and Martin Provensen continues to charm generation after generation.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1949
15 people are currently reading
1199 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Wise Brown
393 books1,209 followersMargaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.
She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.
She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.
Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
April 24, 2018
The little kittens were so happy with all the colors they had made that they began to paint everything around them. They painted . . .
Green leaves
and red berries.
and purple flowers
and pink cherries.
Red tables
and yellow chairs.
Black trees
with golden pears.
Green leaves
and red berries.
and purple flowers
and pink cherries.
Red tables
and yellow chairs.
Black trees
with golden pears.
May 21, 2019
Two cats mix some paint to see what colours they will find. The illustrations are nice if a little bizarre and random. I think I would have enjoyed this one more as a child.
Read on openlibrary.
Read on openlibrary.
September 22, 2007
My grandmother used to read me this book between puffs of her cigarette. How I loved this story...it's the tale of two kittens, Hush and Brush. They have buckets and buckets and buckets of paint, but none that are the color green. Refusing to have their spirits crushed by the evil paint manufacturing company, the two decide to make their own green by mixing various colors together. A series of delightful accidents ensue.
Written by Margaret Wise Brown, the poet laureate of children's literature, THE COLOR KITTENS is lovely and lyrical. I'm thrilled that Golden Books reissued this classic with the original illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen -- looking at these pictures again, I'm tempted to get a tattoo of one of them. Wouldn't Gram be proud!
This book made such a deep impression on me that I always vowed to read it to my own children. As I got older, I decided that kittens are better than babies. (Wow, this book really did make an impression on me!) So when I adopted my cat Simone, the first thing I did was sit her down and read to her from this book.
Unfortunately, we don't seem to share the same reading tastes. Within the first 2 pages, she narrowed her eyes, flattened her ears, and began swiping at the pages. I guess it lacked verisimilitude, or something. Simone has never really explained her hatred of this book to me...all I know is she runs away whenever I take it out. God knows what will happen if I get my Hush and Brush tattoo. Methinks it will look slightly less adorable covered with bloody claw marks.
Anyway, I think THE COLOR KITTENS is a fantastic book, no matter what Simone thinks. Thanks to Gram for reading it to me in the first place, and to Golden Books for bringing this edition back for future generations to enjoy (or shred to ribbons, depending on their inclination.)
Written by Margaret Wise Brown, the poet laureate of children's literature, THE COLOR KITTENS is lovely and lyrical. I'm thrilled that Golden Books reissued this classic with the original illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen -- looking at these pictures again, I'm tempted to get a tattoo of one of them. Wouldn't Gram be proud!
This book made such a deep impression on me that I always vowed to read it to my own children. As I got older, I decided that kittens are better than babies. (Wow, this book really did make an impression on me!) So when I adopted my cat Simone, the first thing I did was sit her down and read to her from this book.
Unfortunately, we don't seem to share the same reading tastes. Within the first 2 pages, she narrowed her eyes, flattened her ears, and began swiping at the pages. I guess it lacked verisimilitude, or something. Simone has never really explained her hatred of this book to me...all I know is she runs away whenever I take it out. God knows what will happen if I get my Hush and Brush tattoo. Methinks it will look slightly less adorable covered with bloody claw marks.
Anyway, I think THE COLOR KITTENS is a fantastic book, no matter what Simone thinks. Thanks to Gram for reading it to me in the first place, and to Golden Books for bringing this edition back for future generations to enjoy (or shred to ribbons, depending on their inclination.)
April 23, 2008
Screw Goodnight Moon. THIS is Margaret Wise Brown's best children's book. The poetry is clever enough to teach children new words, the drawings are awesome, and how can you possibly go wrong with a story about two cats mixing paint colors? At least there aren't any freaky bunnies in footsie pajamas in this one.
March 25, 2020
One of my Goodreads friends pointed out that I’ve been reading some heavy books lately (a Vietnam memoir, Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell trilogy).
So I went to the bookshelf and found a classic. No mortars. No scaffolds.
Just as I remember it — rainbow colors - happy kittens - yes! By Margaret Wise Brown herself!
A five star read. Highly recommend.
So I went to the bookshelf and found a classic. No mortars. No scaffolds.
Just as I remember it — rainbow colors - happy kittens - yes! By Margaret Wise Brown herself!
A five star read. Highly recommend.
November 3, 2022
A strong, fun start with cute kittens mixing secondary colors from their many paint cans of primary colors gives way to a useless dream sequence and a weak conclusion. My daughter wasn't much impressed with it either when she was three. Not a lot of re-reads for this book.
August 8, 2007
I had this on record, with the little booklet, and I can still remember the little "meow" that told you when to turn the page.
October 25, 2011
Quite possibly the cutest book of all time.
April 29, 2023
I just loved this book as a child... and in all that brown, the sun went down. I loved the pictures, the colors, the words. Later, I read it to my own children and I still loved it!
October 15, 2024
God, all I want to be is a freaking color kitten
February 9, 2017
This was one of my favorite books when I'd learned to read at the age of four.
August 8, 2021
Read for the billionth time this week, because I loved it as a child and my granddaughters demand it every time we visit together.
January 1, 2024
I’m now 80% confident that I know my colours. Still reeling from the fact that blue and yellow create green when mixed. Brush and Hush are masterful teachers, I was blown away to learn that it was actually them who created the world ALL BY ACCIDENT! Smh silly cats!
March 1, 2019
A fun yet older book that helps young children in getting to learn more about colors while giving them a chance to enjoy the capers of two little kittens.
Although there is a plot gap in the fact that the story says they are color kittens and are in charge of the world's colors there is no actual explanation on what that means or how they came to get this particular job. Instead the reader is thrown kind of into the story, which then takes them on a color-filled journey.
The book is written in easy-to-understand and very readable yet fun text. As a result the kittens story is a cause-and-effect while when it comes to their color combinations and what colors result there is a page dedicated to the color plus some things that can be found in that particular color while the name of the color is used as a sub-title while also being in that color. As a result there can be many different ways of using this book as a learning tool.
And the illustrations are just as fun as the reading of the book. Keeping to the colorful scheme, the reader is then taken on a fun imaginative trip to explore the type of dreams that only color kittens can have.
All in all this is a fun and easy way to start learning about some of the secondary colors that are predominantly enjoyed.
Although there is a plot gap in the fact that the story says they are color kittens and are in charge of the world's colors there is no actual explanation on what that means or how they came to get this particular job. Instead the reader is thrown kind of into the story, which then takes them on a color-filled journey.
The book is written in easy-to-understand and very readable yet fun text. As a result the kittens story is a cause-and-effect while when it comes to their color combinations and what colors result there is a page dedicated to the color plus some things that can be found in that particular color while the name of the color is used as a sub-title while also being in that color. As a result there can be many different ways of using this book as a learning tool.
And the illustrations are just as fun as the reading of the book. Keeping to the colorful scheme, the reader is then taken on a fun imaginative trip to explore the type of dreams that only color kittens can have.
All in all this is a fun and easy way to start learning about some of the secondary colors that are predominantly enjoyed.
April 8, 2017
Ember's illustrations are weird. Generally creepy, but the green jazzy cat dancing with the pink French poodle is brill, and the Easter eggs dancing around the tree is a crazy dream.
Parts of the story are wonderful, but parts are odd. Why do the kittens dream the same dreams? The versed parts of the text are MWB at her best.
I know I've seen the Provensen art at one time, but it wasn't all that memorable to me. From a 'fine art' pov, I believe this the superior. The other is probably more kid-friendly, though.
Parts of the story are wonderful, but parts are odd. Why do the kittens dream the same dreams? The versed parts of the text are MWB at her best.
I know I've seen the Provensen art at one time, but it wasn't all that memorable to me. From a 'fine art' pov, I believe this the superior. The other is probably more kid-friendly, though.
July 17, 2024
I recently came across Time magazine's 100 Best Children's Books of All Time list. I have loved children's literature my whole life and have been a children's librarian for eight years. Obviously, I was interested in that list. As I often do when I am intrigued, I created a little reading project. I had read 86 of the 100 books, and I decided to read the remaining 14.
I was a fan of Little Golden Books when I was growing up. I was a fan when my daughter was little. I am still a fan. This Little Golden Book was fun, and could be a cute read-aloud before a Color Wheel lesson.
I was a fan of Little Golden Books when I was growing up. I was a fan when my daughter was little. I am still a fan. This Little Golden Book was fun, and could be a cute read-aloud before a Color Wheel lesson.
March 25, 2025
a lot of really nuanced questions raised with this one. in a world of red yellow and blue, is it possible for two cats to produce green? what does it have to say diversifying one’s economic portfolio? what implications are raised for the global market at large? how does it affect lebron’s legacy? purple and orange were unexpected twists in the middle, and the reader is left pondering with the open-ended question driving the story - how did they produce pink with only the three primary colors? going to be thinking about this one for a while.
December 29, 2021
The colors and illustrations in this book are delightful. I screenshotted a few pages to create a color palette based on it!
June 12, 2023
A classic. I loved the color mixing part of the story. Once the kittens went to sleep it got a little trippy, which I did not recall.
February 20, 2022
2 - 6 years
June 6, 2022
My favorite childhood book. 💕
August 19, 2025
This was a favorite as a child! I was just learning my colors when this was read to me, so you can imagine my amazement when I discovered that mixing different colors together ... made other colors!
What we adults often think is simplistic or normal, is incredibly dazzling and wondrous to children. So don't skip over those introductory books to colors, letters, animals, vehicles and the like - children are taking it all in happily! Their little world is growing.
Ages: 2 - 5
Here’s our book favs on color: watch my reel!
Content Considerations: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
What we adults often think is simplistic or normal, is incredibly dazzling and wondrous to children. So don't skip over those introductory books to colors, letters, animals, vehicles and the like - children are taking it all in happily! Their little world is growing.
Ages: 2 - 5
Here’s our book favs on color: watch my reel!
Content Considerations: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
March 9, 2017
2 little kittens paint everything in the world, but are confused how to make certain colors. Explains how different colors combine to make new ones (blue + yellow = green, etc).
November 22, 2020
Os Gatinhos Pintores
Esta maravilha de todas as cores encheu muitos momentos da minha infância de grande ilusão e beleza!
Os Gatinhos não sabiam que misturas de cores produziam outras cores, por isso o livro é totalmente pedagógico, ensinando visualmente às crianças que cores devem misturar para obter rosa, violeta, verde, castanho, etc…
A maravilha de imaginação e de sensibilidade deste livrinho é incrível… Não podia digitalizá-lo todo, mas quase tive vontade disso.
Aconselho vivamente quem tenha filhos ou netos pequenos que procure este tipo de livros sonhadores e belos… Ainda hoje deixam saudades…
Esta maravilha de todas as cores encheu muitos momentos da minha infância de grande ilusão e beleza!
Os Gatinhos não sabiam que misturas de cores produziam outras cores, por isso o livro é totalmente pedagógico, ensinando visualmente às crianças que cores devem misturar para obter rosa, violeta, verde, castanho, etc…
A maravilha de imaginação e de sensibilidade deste livrinho é incrível… Não podia digitalizá-lo todo, mas quase tive vontade disso.
Aconselho vivamente quem tenha filhos ou netos pequenos que procure este tipo de livros sonhadores e belos… Ainda hoje deixam saudades…
May 9, 2014
The kids and I read this last night for story time. I thought the story felt a little young for them (Boy 9, Girl 7) but they both enjoyed it and they both said to give it 5+++++ stars. It is a cute story of two kittens named Brush and Hush who are trying to make green paint and go through many different color combinations before they get to green. The illustrations are colorful and add to the story.
October 7, 2007
I like this book. Everything is out of proportion and weird. I don't want to give away the ending, but it's pretty cool when the kittens mix all the colors together. I was really hoping for a rainbow...but it was something else.
My favorite page is the one where people live on islands and have houses only big enough to shelter their loaves of bread.
My favorite page is the one where people live on islands and have houses only big enough to shelter their loaves of bread.
February 16, 2014
This one is well loved by both mk and jo and for some reason it makes me so emotional to read. Oh Brush, Oh Hush! I think I need to buy another copy to keep safe forever (the one we've been reading over and over is from aunt Katrina).
December 3, 2014
selain ceritanya, suka sekali dg ilustrasinya.. dg warna-warna cerah yang lembut, spirit ceria dan optimis yang menggambarkan dunia anak-anaknya dapet banget. suka juga gaya ilsutrasinya yang artistik rapi, dg background putih.. jatuh cinta sama ilustrasinya deh, banget, banget :)
March 3, 2017
Originally this was read to me (then by me) in my early childhood as part of the Golden Books collection, but today I read it to my client's little sister(3yro). It was very cute and provided opportunities to ask her questions.
December 17, 2010
LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book when I was little. I liked seeing the colors blend together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews