The Little Kitten

Ollie #3

by Nicola Killen

From beloved author-illustrator Nicola Killen comes a charming autumnal story about a little girl who must return a lost kitten to its home, lovingly told and illustrated in limited color with lovely foil and interactive die cut pages.

Ollie and her cat Pumpkin are out frolicking on a beautiful fall day when they come upon a tiny kitten shivering in a pile of fallen leaves. Ollie warms the kitten up and the three become fast friends, but when Ollie sees “Lost Kitten” posters hanging on the trees in the forest, she knows she has to help her new friend get home. As Halloween draws nearer, magic is afoot, and Ollie’s good deed is rewarded in an unexpected way.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Cats, Childrens, Animals, Holiday, Storytime

24 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 2020

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atmospheric and impressionistic, more alluring than creepy; a gentle approach to an eerie time of year. Touches of color emphasize seasonal elements and guide the eye to key areas of the illustrations. The illustrations gradually darken and there's a slight spooky Halloween feel, but those elements add more aesthetic appeal than eeriness and contribute more to the broad fall seasonal setting than one of a dark and scary Halloween. A mellow and suggestive fall read, perfect for cat lovers, with a courteous and considerate lesson about friendship.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an utterly perfect cat-centric autumn Halloween-ish picture book. I couldn't have imagined a book more suited to all things I love this time of year. The illustrations are gorgeous, black and white with orange, including metallic orange in the fall leaves and pumpkins and clever little cut-outs! So pretty!!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really adorable. Love the illustrations — they are cozy with a gentle dose of spooky atmosphere when needed — and the little embellishments like cut-away peek-throughs and shiny foil on the leaves just adds to the delight. The cats are darling and the ending has a fun little twist that made me smile.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ollie, the sweet little girl who starred in British author/illustrator Nicola Killen's The Little Reindeer and The Little Rabbit , returns in this third entertaining adventure. Playing outside one windy fall day, Ollie and her cat Pumpkin encounter a lost kitten, whom they immediately befriend. After an enjoyable romp, Ollie realizes that the kitten belongs to someone, and is led by a seemingly magical path to the kitten's house deep in the woods. Becoming lost herself on the way home, Ollie is in turn rescued by Pumpkin, and receives a thank-you gift from the lost kitten's owner the next morning...

The second of Ollie's adventures I have read - after enjoying The Little Reindeer , I somehow missed The Little Rabbit - The Little Kitten was an absolute charmer! It's been on order at my library system for months, and finally came in a few weeks ago, explaining my reading this autumnal tale in January. Although Halloween isn't specifically mentioned, the setting, theme and conclusion of the story - the kitten belongs to a local witch - make this a suitable read for that holiday. For my part, I found the story appealing, and the artwork charming. I loved the use of shiny foil for some of the leaves, and the die-cuts in some of the pages. The reveal at the end was a very nice touch, given my love for all things witchy. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed other stories about Ollie and her adventures, as well as to all picture-book readers looking for sweet Halloween fare.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable!! I bought it on a whim without even looking inside very closely, and I obviously have no regrets. The Little Kitten has gorgeous autumnal spooky cuteness with a sweet story about a cat lover’s fun day with her cat and a kitten she found in a pile of leaves. The ending actually did surprise me! Made me smile!! 🧡🖤🐈‍⬛

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable read and a great life lesson on not letting doing a good deed for someone else make you forget about your own loved ones. Ollie is a great friend.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ollie and her cat Pumpkin are exploring on a lovely fall evening when Ollie runs across a lost kitten. Ollie sees some lost kitten posters in the woods and she helps the little kitten return home. But where is her own cat?

Lovely gold leaf and little cut-out windows add to the interactive quality of this gentle and charming little fall tale.

[domduclos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je suis en amour avec ces livres! C'est si mignon et beauuuuuu 🥰❤

[Juushika · Rating 2 out of 5]

"How sad and endangered is this kitten that I found outdoors; oops, I forget that I left my own cat unsupervised outside" unintentionally and ironically summarizes my issues with cats in picture books, so I would reiterate them. The grey and orange art touched by copper foil is a great choice--I don't know if I've ever seen foil on interior pages of a picture book?--that enlivens otherwise mediocre art. This on the sweet, spoopy, oh so gently atmospheric, cozy side of Halloween picture books. It's cute to browse, but not memorable.

[Honore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet Halloween-y story. Where this book really shines is in its use of cutouts and foil elements, they make the book more interesting, beautiful, and really pop. I could see a young child wanting to read this over and over again.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a little girl finding a kitten and then helping him get home after being lost. It shows kids that sometimes they can't keep the animals they find because they already have a home, and not to forget about the pets you already have. My son really loves it, and it goes well with October since there's a witchy Halloweeny feel to the whole book. The artwork was really great and we ended up buying this after my son didn't want to return it to the library.

[Cathie (ClassyLibrarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for storytime!

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen, an adorable autumn tale of feline friendship.

Little Ollie, clad in a playful catsuit, is ready to head outside to enjoy a fall day with her own pet cat, Pumpkin. Yet just as she’s about to jump into a pile of crunchy leaves, a gust of wind blows them all away – to reveal a shivering kitten hidden within! Ollie and Pumpkin welcome their new friend with a day of play and cuddles, but in all the excitement, Ollie and the new kitten run off and accidentally leave Pumpkin behind. Discovering some “Lost Kitten” flyers, Ollie realizes that her new friend is missed by his own person, and endeavors to help him find his way home. With a mysterious path, a missing Pumpkin, and a quickly-falling night, can Ollie get the kitten home… without becoming lost herself?

Delightful. This sweet-as-pumpkin-pie story is as gentle and cozy of an autumn tale as any reader could wish for. Themes of adventure and friendship (and just a hint of Halloween) are rich, yet the story itself is simple, making for a lovely and light storytime. Equally appealing is the soft yet striking artwork, which features adorable, endearing characters in shades of gray, white, and orange. The sporadic cutouts and gorgeous use of foil amongst the fall foliage is the cherry on top. The length is perfect, and JJ adored it. A modern fall classic-in-the-making that’s sure to please, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicola Killen's reindeer book is one of my most favorite Christmas books (and so easy to make interactive with bells!) so i was very excited for a halloween themed book as well. I don't know if this one lends itself as easily to making it interactive, but I adore the shimmery leaves and peep-through cutouts in the illustrations. The story follows a young girl as she finds a witch's missing cat. Darling for fall.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the connections between the little girl and the cats! So much compassion and caring, without resorting to talking animals. Fantastic book for all of autumn, definitely not just a Halloween book!

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to curl up with a warm blanket and a hot cup of cocoa!

[Becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shamelessly Googled “Best Halloween books for Children” and this popped up. I’m so glad it did.

Ollie is a little girl with a lovely cat called Pumpkin. When they’re playing in the fallen leaves together they find a lost black kitten. Eventually Ollie finds where the kitten lives and returns the kitten, realising she left her own cat back home and is lost now in the woods. Everything of course turns out okay in the end, and a spooky witch on a broomstick even makes a cameo.

The story really would have benefitted from rhyming; for readers of this age, you might as well not even bother trying if it doesn’t rhyme, their interest lasts about 2 minutes! But otherwise, the story itself is fun and the illustrations are fantastic with the addition of shiny leaves within.

[Karla Deniss]

Cats, autumn leaves, pumpkins, witches... Perfection.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a kid who finds a lost kitten and helps it get home. Our copy had sparkly leaves on some pages, which was cool.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH cute art and a sweet story. I love the shiny leaves.

[Angélica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historia súper tierna, hermosas ilustraciones y mucha calidad en la edición y la sorpresa del final súper linda. 🎃

Cute story, really beautiful illustrations , nice surprise ending!.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die cut and foil illustrations add charm to this sweet autumn story about a lost kitten who joins a cat-loving girl on a nighttime adventure.

[Ryan Laferney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very charming, Autumn time story about a girl and her cat finding a lost cat as they go about their autumn adventures in the woods. The illustrations perfectly render a chilly, autumn day and are very cute. I highly recommend this one.

[Iminie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un album trop mignon avec 2 chats et une petite fille déguisée en chat 😍
Ambiance automnale assurée. Les dessins en noir et blanc, gris et orange sont très jolis

[Tayler K · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if kittens and fall weren't enough to make me want to read this, there's shiny foil accents on the pages?? Need.

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This was adorable! I loved it! Cute and spooky and cats and fall and shiny leaves and cut-out windows that work with both sides of the page! Love, love, love!

I wish I was at home to hug my cats right now (it's my lunch break).

Ollie & her cat pumpkin find a kitten in the woods. Pumpkin is asleep while Ollie runs off playing with the kitten. A magic path guides them to the lost kitten's house, but then Ollie realizes she's lost and without Pumpkin! Pumpkin guides them home. Through a window cut-out we see the kitten riding on a broomstick with a witch, and Ollie wakes up the next morning to find a cat-faced pumpkin as a thank-you gift. So cute!!

[Erica Robyn Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Kitten by Nicola Killen is a cute tale with absolutely stunning artwork! If you're looking for a book for a little one that is just perfect for this season, look no further!

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

So first of all, how adorable is that cover?! I had this book sitting on my shelf with the cover displayed for a couple of months, just waiting to dive in once October rolled around.

Throughout the book, the artwork is created using just three colors; black, white, and splashes of orange. I LOVE when children's books follow a simple color scheme, and the orange the artist picked here was perfect for the tale.

The cover and various pages also have wonderful orange foil that added to the overall beauty of the book. Inside the book, there are also a few pages with little cut outs that are just perfect!

From the story standpoint, this one is short and sweet. It flows wonderfully and would be great to read out loud! There's also a wonderful lesson that readers will learn by the end.

I highly recommend picking this up for your kiddo or as a gift for someone else!

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I planned to buy this book for my nephew, but decided to keep it for myself because it was so adorable. (He's a bit too young for it now.) The illustrations are beautiful with a lovely and thoughtful color palette of black, gray, and orange. It's perfect for autumn! There are also foil details on parts of the pictures to highlight things like leaves and pumpkins. It's a really beautiful book. Some of the pages have cutouts which add some fun and tie together what's happening on the different pages. The story is sweet and thoughtful. It's about Ollie and her cat, Pumpkin, finding a lost kitten in some fallen leaves. At the end, Ollie helps the kitten find his way home to his owner, a Halloween witch! This is an adorable story for young children (and adults!) while also adding some seasonal flavor!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dare anyone not to "awww" while reading this. It's so dang cute. The plot: A clearly free-range child has a golden and orange-foil evening playing with her cat and a lost kitten in the woods. The kitten must eventually be returned to her owner, whose cute little cottage would give off all sorts of red flags to the Inquisition. My little guy loves the premise of finding a little lost kitten, and I love that I can practically feel the crisp autumn air.

Only one pet peeve (in the sense that it's a peeve about the pet): Why name a grey cat "Pumpkin?" At first I thought this was a disconnect between author and illustrator, but they are one and the same. Is it supposed to be ironic?

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and fun for fall and Halloween. I love the little girl who has an adventurous spirit. She discovers a little cat and they play together in the woods, where she eventually finds a missing poster. Of course since it is Halloween, the cat isn’t just any cat-he is a witches cat. The illustrations are beautiful, with shiny orange touches and peel throughs that add just a hint of magic and whimsy. I love the focus on just black, white, and orange to set the fall and Halloween feel.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Little Kitten is carried more by the pictures than the book. Nicola Killen’s illustrations are engaging and fun with the right mix of spooky and whimsy. The cutouts and foil stamped pages added visual surprise but seemed a bit out of place. The three year old audience requests it regularly, so it’s a great choice for your year-round autumnal holiday fans.