Kindergarten Cat Book

Here's the purr-fect read-aloud for kindergarteners!

When Mr. Bigbuttons finds a tiny stray kitty cat outside near the jungle gym, he knows exactly where to bring it—into the kindergarten classroom, of course. And so the children welcome their newest classmate, name her Tinker Toy, and share their circle time spots with her. Tinker Toy fits right in, even answering Teacher's questions with a loud "Meow!"

J. Patrick Lewis is one of the most renowned children's poets writing today, and he has created a real gem. His simple rhyming text demands to be read aloud—and the large type and bright, irresistible illustrations by Ailie Busby make this a fantastic book for story time in classrooms and libraries.

Publishers Weekly

A cute stray orange kitty cat is adopted by a very lucky kindergarten class and quickly becomes the focus of everyone's attention. But when the children note that Tinker Toy, as she's dubbed, doesn't have many talents beyond sleeping and tail-chasing, Teacher sees a pedagogic opportunity ("I think/ Anyone can learn./ Let's give Tinker Toy/ Her kindergarten turn"). Sure enough, with a little imagination on the part of her exuberant human classmates, Tinker Toy becomes a model student. Busby's (The Quiet Woman and the Noisy Dog) naïf mixed-media illustrations and wide-eyed, round-headed cast of characters may strike readers of kindergarten age as babyish, and Lewis's (Skywriting: Poems to Fly) rhymes are sometimes awkwardly constructed (" ‘Why, little Tinker Toy,'/ Teacher said, ‘she's a whiz!/ She's a Thinker Tinker Toy/ Kind of cat, she is.' "). But seeing Tinker Toy happily settle into her cozy new crayon-strewn digs is sure to make preschoolers purr. Ages 3-10. (July)