April's Kittens

Clare Turlay Newberry, a four-time Caldecott honoree - in addition to April's Kittens, her other titles to be so distinguished include Barkis, Marshmallow and T Bone, The Baby Sitter - here presents the charming story of a little girl named April, her cat Sheba, and Sheba's three adorable kittens. Although she comes to be very attached to the kittens - named Charcoal, Butch and Brenda by her father - April knows that she cannot keep them, reluctantly accepting this fact when good homes are found for Charcoal and Butch. But given the choice between Sheba and Brenda, the little girl becomes truly distraught, having come to truly love little Brenda, but being heartbroken at the idea of giving up Sheba. Fortunately, a solution is found when show more April's parents discover that she has outgrown her crib, and a larger bed simply won't fit in their tiny New York City apartment.

Published in 1940, and chosen as the sole Caldecott Honor Book in 1941, the year that Robert Lawson's They Were Strong and Good won the medal itself, this sweet little story will capture young cat-lovers' hearts. The joy of having young kittens in the house is ably depicted in Newberry's story, as is the anguish of having to find new homes for some of them. Although I agree that some of the elements here felt a little dated - the fact that Sheba can come and go (in order to get pregnant!) in New York City, and that she isn't spayed - I did appreciate the fact that April and her family are responsible, finding good and loving homes for Butch and Charcoal, and (potentially) for Brenda as well. The ending, in which April gets a partial reprieve, is very satisfactory indeed. As for the artwork, done in pencil I believe, it is just lovely, capturing the charm of our feline friends and the joy they bring to our lives. Although I wouldn't describe it as a personal favorite amongst the many cat-centric picture-books I have read, April's Kittens is a sweetly engaging book, one I would recommend to young cat lovers, as well as to fans of Newberry's artwork. show less

This is a lovely 1941 Caldecott Honor Book that stands the test of time. Living in a tiny apartment, April's father repeatedly tells her they are one cat household. When her cat Sheba has three kittens, April loves their tiny pink noses and the soft fur.

Mesmerized, she spends an inordinate amount of time watching over the kittens. Her love of the kittens is balanced with the sadness she feels at her father's comments and his strict adherence to only one cat allowed.

Initially, April must choose between keeping her favorite kitten, or Sheba.

While literally some may think this is fluffy, the way in which the author writes elicits emotions for any animal lover!

April is a little girl whose cat ends up having kittens, but her family's apartment is too small for more than one cat. Actually, the apartment is too small for even April to have a real bed. April loathes the idea of giving up any of the cats, and eventually a solution that will allow for April to keep more than one cat.

This book has a timeless quality, the sentiment of a girl wanting to keep all her cats is still valid today. The illustrations of the small soft and furry kittens are gorgeous, with an airbrushed, effervescent quality to them. It's a beautiful book, with a message about making compromises.

This book is one of the books that would be given to a young pet owner. I felt that this book speaks t the owner of not only cats, but for any child who as ever loved a pet. The way that Newberry illustrates her stories and allows the pictures to very discreetly describe the text even further could have been expounded on more. The use of the pictures to me as a reader would not have peaked my interest as a child because they didn't allow the story to come alive, thus the 4 star rating.

Summary:
April lives in a small apartment in New York with her mother, father, and cat Sheba. Her father considers the apartment a one cat apartment, so when Sheba had kittens the family would have to give them away. Days went by and the kittens were getting bigger than two were given to friends of the mother. April loved one of the kittens just as much as Sheba and didn’t know which to keep.

Personal Reaction:
I really liked this book it shows how a child could have a relationship with a pet. It also reminds me of how I was attached to my dog. The entire book had pictures that look drawn out and were airbrushed to fill in the outline. All the pictures were either in black, white or like a pink-red color.

Classroom Extension Ideas: show more
1.) Could tell the children to describe a time when they had to make a hard decision just like April did
2.) Have them draw or bring a picture of something they really love whether it’s a pet or a stuffed animal show less

This is a wonderful story about April and her cat. Sheba her cat had 3 kittens. The apartment in which was too small for 4 cats. So the parents and April give two kittens away. April thinks she wants the little girl kitten and wants to give the mother Sheba away to her aunt but soon changes her mind. However her parents move to an apartment big enough for both the cats. This book would be perfect to go along with Barkis. I would do a lesson on how to properly take care of pets. This book would be better suited for 2nd and 3rd graders.

Appropriate grade level for this book is Kindergarten to 3rd grade. This book received the Caldecott Medal. This story is about a girl named April whose cat Sheba has 3 baby kittens. April was so excited until her father told her that they could only have one cat. April had to give up 3 cats, but she didn't know which ones to give up. She named all 3 of her new kittens: Charcoal, Butch and Brenda. She didn't know which of the cats to give away, she was so sad. In the end April comes up with solutions so that everyone is happy in the end. Uses for this book would be giving your students a tough scenario (kind of like April's) and have them make a list of the things that they would do in that situation and have them write/draw why the show more chose what they did. show less