The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee: The Ultimate Guide to All Things Kitten
Gr 3 Up—This satisfactory addition will warmly introduce families to a potential volunteer service, fostering kittens, yet is more likely to stir up a desire for a pet cat. Cinotto offers up advice mixed with plenty of whimsy. Having fostered more than 200 kittens herself, she incorporates images and stories of many of the cats she's taken in over the years. The photographs are almost ceaselessly cute and there's even a page of suggestions on how to get a good kitten photo. There are some solid recommendations here on how to prepare a home for kittens, how to make kitten toys, how to make a house safe for kittens, and what supplies to have ready, as well as suggestions on feeding and litter boxes. There are also a lot of extras, such as a simple pattern for a no-sew kitten blanket that young children could make, requiring only simple measurements and the ability to tie a knot. "Kitten comics" (series of adorable kitten photos with hilarious speech bubbles) are interspersed throughout. The author includes her own cat, Charlotte Butterbean, who socializes well with the foster kittens, making their home a comforting place. Charlotte even becomes an advice cat in a section where troubled or frustrated kittens write Dear Abby—style letters asking for help. The work that Cinotto has put into kitten fostering will pull at readers' hearts. Though the information is good and the photographs charming, the stories about each of the cats aren't all that notable; the best way to enjoy this package is in small bites.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA