A. N. Kang

A.N. Kang, the expatriate Korean author/artist responsible for those two delightful picture-books about a fluffy kitty named Papillon, turns to the subject of self-doubt in this latest offering. Beset by the criticisms of the little monster of doubt, a young girl finds that the more she listens, the larger the monster grows. Eventually she even begins to sound like the monster herself. Then one day she decides not to listen to him any more, and good things happen...

Having enjoyed Kang's show more Papillon books - The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon and Papillon Goes to the Vet - I picked up My Big Bad Monster with a sense of anticipation, sure that, if nothing else, I would enjoy the cute artwork. What I found was a sweet, sensitively told tale about the destructive power of self-doubt, the way that insecurity can grow and become more extreme, the more it is indulged. I particularly appreciated the fact that Kang depicts how the girl's own self-doubts cause her to denigrate another, as bullying behavior is so often the product of insecurity on the bully's part. The artwork, as could be expected, was adorable - even the monster looked cute! Recommended to anyone seeking children's books addressing self-doubt and self-confidence. show less

An extremely fluffy kitten named Papillon, so fluffy that he is in perpetual danger of floating away, is a constant source of worry to his human in this sweet picture-book. Determined to ground him, Miss Tilly tries everything she can to weight Papillon down, but her efforts, which largely consist of dressing him in more and more outrageous outfits, do not please her feline friend. Then one day Papillon, intrigued by a little bird flying by, really does float off, getting lost in the show more process. Will he be able to find his way home...?

A charming debut from author/artist A.N. Kang, The Very Fluffy Kitten, Papillon pairs a whimsically humorous tale with absolutely adorable artwork. Although the narrator is quite clear on the fact that the appropriately named Papillon is big but not fat, cat-owners who have somewhat tubby felines themselves will get a kick out of seeing this fluffy cat take flight. The illustrations are simply charming, particularly when depicting Papillon's many expressions, whether of contentment or disgust. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining new picture-books featuring cats! show less

I had completely missed this book until I got to ALA and they were handing out magnets (which one of our circulation clerk's children are enjoying at this very moment). So, marketing works!

"Papillon is a big kitty. He is not fat. Just very fluffy." Thus begins the story of Papillon, a cat so fluffy he floats. Despite his owner's best intentions, dressing him in different costumes to keep him weighted down, Papillon is determined to float free. But when he sees a potential new friend, a show more little red bird, and goes outside to greet her... he floats away!

Fortunately, there is a happy ending with a compromise between Papillon and his owner Miss Tilly and Papillon's new friend.

The story is sweet and simple, gently quirky but with an adorable sweetness that listeners will sink into. For me, what really charmed me were the illustrations. Papillon is delightfully rounded and fluffy, with eyes that are often closed in sleep but occasionally pop open into sleepy dots. Readers can follow his friend, the little red bird, throughout the book from beginning to end and across the sometimes scary forest (in one scene the darkened forest shows an owl clutching a mouse and a snake eyeing some fledglings.

Verdict: Even if you didn't get any paper doll magnets (and I am totally in favor of a paper doll Papillon) you will adore this sweet story of a fluffy kitty and some good friends. I look forward to more stories about Papillon - the first one checked out almost before I could discharge it!

ISBN: 9781484717981; Published 2016 by Disney-Hyperion; Purchased for the library show less

Papillon, the kitty so fluffy that he floats, returns in this second adorable picture-book devoted to his adventures. Playing with his best friend, the little red bird, our feline hero ends up swallowing his toy, weighing himself down in the process, and becoming so ill that he can no longer fly. His human, Miss Tilly, rushes him to the vet, where, after an initial period of distress, Papillon disgorges his unintentional avian meal, and impresses the other cats with his floating show more games...

Although not quite the equal of the original - perhaps the novelty of a fluffy (AKA: plump!) kitty floating around has worn off? - Papillon Goes to the Vet is nevertheless an engaging, sweet little picture-book. As a cat-lover myself, I found this feline's many expressions quite charming, and think young pet-lovers will find the story here quite reassuring, especially if they are taking their companion animal to the veterinarian for the first time. Recommended to all young cat-lovers, as well as to fans of The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon. show less