Caldecott Book 3

The third Caldecott book I read was Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes. This book won the Caldecott medal in 2005.

Kitten's First Full Moon is about a kitten who sees a full moon for the first time and thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. We read about her attempts to reach the bowl of milk in the sky. This book would be great for early primary students with its one character and simplistic plot.

What I really liked about this book was the illustrations. I thought they brought the story to life. I really liked how different these illustrations were from other books, and even other Caldecott winners. In this book, the illustrations are very simplistic. They are black and white drawings with thick, bold black lines. The uncluttered pictures match the uncluttered storyline.

My reaction to this book is based on my love of children's literature. I don't know how do describe my reaction other than that I loved kitten's sense of adventure and how inquisitive she was. I choose books such as this one to read in my classroom because I want my students to be curious and adventurous. That is how you learn!

My favorite book by Kevin Henkes is Chrysanthemum. I absolutely love Chrysanthemum, and I read it to my class every year. Kitten's First Full Moon probably has more differences than similarities with Chrysanthemum. I think Kittens First Full Moon is geared towards a younger audience. While both books are great stories for young students, I feel that Chrysanthemum delivers a great message. Students learn that all names are special and you should tease someone about their name.

The new insight I gained from this book was that illustrations can really make or break a book. I feel that the black and white, simplistic illustrations really match well with the storyline. Elaborate, colorful illustrations would have really taken away from the story.