April's+Kittens

//__**April's Kittens**__// __**by Clare Turlay Newberry**__

Book Review by Amanda Furegno

__**Biographical Data:**__


 *  ISBN-13: 9780060244002
 * Author/Illustrator: Clare Turlay Newberry
 *  Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
 *  Publication date: 10/28/1940
 * Format: Hardcover $16.28 (Barnes and Noble)
 *  Pages: 40
 *  Age range: 4 - 8 Years
 * Language: English

__**Summary:**__

April is a little girl who lives with her mother, father, and cat, Sheba, in what her father calls a "one-cat" apartment. When Sheba has three kittens, the family must find new homes for the kittens. The problem is April is smitten with one of the kittens. Her parents tell her that she can only keep one cat, either one of the kittens or Sheba, because the apartment is too small. Two of the kittens, Butch and Charcoal, find new homes in other neighboring apartments. April decides to keep the kitten that she is smitten with, Brenda, but when she hears about how they'll have to give Sheba away, she starts to cry and says it isn't fair to her that she has to leave her home, changes her mind, and decides to keep Sheba. In the end, her parents decide it would be best to compromise by keeping Sheba and Brenda that April had her eyes on and moving to a "two-cat" apartment.

__**Review:**__

//April's Kittens// is a book that I absolutely adored as a child, as well as today. The story is well-written and very relatable to any child who has ever wanted a pet, to keep a new pet, or to keep an additional pet. The illustrations, while the color palette is very simple and consisting of only two colors in contrast to the white pages, are very realistic and detailed, while also simplistic. Overall, //April's Kittens// is a great book that encourages flexibility by implementing compromise as well as appreciation of that which we already have.

__**Analysis of a Literary Element:**__

The illustrations in //April's Kittens// are truly amazing. They are clearly done completely by hand, which may be obvious by looking at the publication date, with only two colors throughout the entire book. All large black markings appear to be done in paint and all small grey details/shading done in pencil, while small orange-red markings and picture captions seem to be done in marker, perhaps some watercolor as well. These illustrations really make the story come to life which is important for young children and will keep them engaged in the story. There is absolutely no confusion as to what the pictures are of or what the story is about and the illustrations connect to very closely to the text, which is very important for young children. The details make an incredible impression and evoke you to want to pull each kitten out of the page. The simplicity of the illustrations are truly elegant and keep the images true to life.

__**About the Author:**__

Clare Turlay Newberry (1903-1970) was born in Eugene, Oregon. She studied art at the University of Oregon, School of the Portland Art Museum, the California School of Fine Arts, and La Grand Chaumière in Paris, France. She received the Caldecott Honor for four of her books://T-Bone, The Baby Sitter (1951); Marshmallow (1943); April's Kittens (1941); and Barkis(1939)//. Clare's Newberry's enchanting illustrations reflect her fondness for cats; ** School Library Journal ** deemed these "beautiful drawings, so real one wants to pet them."