Book Review: I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec

Book: I See Kitty
Author: Yasmine Surovec
Illustrator: Yasmine Surovec
Published: 2013

When little Chloe gets her first glimpse of a cat, she’s in love. Fluffy bellies, pink paws, soft fur, she wants it all. And while her mom won’t let her adopt a real one, she sees kitties everywhere. Will she ever get a kitty of her very own?

If you’ve ever known a toddler obsessed with something (trains, cats, horses, particle physics), you know that it dominates their world. This book brings that truth to life. Chloe sees cats everywhere, from the clouds to the shrubbery. (Personally, I can’t wait for a cat storytime where I can ask kids to find the kitty hiding somewhere in the picture.) There’s one rather trippy spread of Chloe’s dreams, where she rides on cats floating down a river of milk, with mushroom-cats growing along the banks. And when she wakes up? Well, awwww is the only way to describe it.

Reading Roundup: September 2013

By the Numbers
Picture Books: 10

Sources
Library: all

Standouts
Writing: Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake by Michael Kaplan, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch
I agree with this bunny's emotions regarding that particular dessert, but the real treat here is Betty's delightful kid-logic and the realistic portrayal of the absolute lack of patience in waiting for a treat.
Illustration: I See Kitty! by Yasmine Surovec
A feline-obssessed little girl sees kitties everywhere she goes, in the clouds and in the shrubberies. This one was fun for how sometimes it took you a moment to see the kitty, but once you did it was oh so obvious.
Overall: My Blue is Happy by Jessica Young, illustrated by Catia Chien
I got this one right before a feelings storytime and immediately snatched it up. From the young green of a sprouting garden to the old, old green of a forest, this takes our notions of colors and turns them upside down.

Because I Want To Awards
A Quiet Book: Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Most picture books pop and fizz and glitter with energy. This one takes a quieter approach to a child's acclimation to a scary new place. Read it while snuggled up together.
Aw, That Poor Cat!: Bobo the Sailor Man! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
This third entry in the Bobo series sees the cat rescuing Bobo from certain doom, but getting none of the credit. Awwww.