Review: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2014
The essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right: "The only way to have a friend is to be one." Unfortunately for Kitty, she was arrogant, abusive, and condescending to the other animals, so they didn't want to be friends with her any more than she wanted to be their friend. Some people learn from their mistakes, but unfortunately for Kitty, she never got the message, so she remained lonely and spent most of her day whining.The story stops there, and it asks kids who are reading the story (or hearing it read by a parent) to think about why the other animals don't want to play with Kitty. The story offers parents a good opportunity to discuss friendship and what it means with their children. It's a valuable lesson for youngsters to learn at an early age, and Kitty's story illustrates very graphically why friendship is so important.