"I went to the animal shelter with Rosie after school.
Daddy and Tulip did not come with us. Less fighting
that way.
We took a bus to a shelter we had read about.
It promised cats and dogs."
Every member of this family show love for cats and books. Once home from the library with a new pile of cat books, Rosie and Tulip spend time creating face whiskers and cat-ears hairbands for themselves. One wall is hung with newly-created feline portraits. It's time for things to get better for their family - they need a cat.
What they want is very specific. Daddy wants an older cat, smart and snuggly. The girls want a kitten. An argument ensues. Mommy is privy to the back-and-forth; she does not need readers to know that whole scenario. When they cannot agree, Mommy is suggested as the person to make a good decision. She agrees with the girls; a kitten it is.
Next, a decision must be made about a name. There are many suggestions. Daddy argues that an older cat would already have a name. No decision is made. The time has come to find their cat. When Mommy and Rosie arrive at the shelter, they find it permanently closed. What a dilemma!
It is left to Mommy to find another shelter, and a kitten on her own. The choices are many; only one speaks directly to Mommy. He meets none of the family's requirements for the perfect pet. Mommy and the cat are smitten with each other. Home they go; cat chosen and name given.
"He wasn’t small. In fact, he was almost an older cat.
And he wasn’t very cute.
He couldn’t be our kitten."
Will there be rejoicing? Yes, there will be!
This lively family story is not without conflict. It is told with love and respect, and illustrated with great expresssion and fine details that ensure readers have a real sense of the need for all to have a voice when making family decisions. Funny and full of heart, little ones are sure to want to hear it again.
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