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Big Cat, Little Kitty
Big cats are fierce predators that roam the world from the mountains to the deserts. How are these wild cats that hunt for their food the same as pet cats that might chase a mouse or ball of yarn? How are they different? Children learn the days of the week as they travel to seven different world habitats to meet the big cats, and then back home to compare and contrast the domestic cat s behavior to that of its relative. The award-winning prequel to this book, One Wolf Howls, introduces children to counting and the months of the year as they watch the seasons change. 4-6 pg For Creative Minds educational section in the back 40-60 pg cross-curricular Teaching Activities and 3 Interactive Quizzes available free on the book's homepage eBooks with Auto-Flip, Auto-Read and selectable English and Spanish text and audio
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 11, 2011
I got this book as a promo from the author. Thank's Scotti, and thanks first reads! (Won this from Goodreads First Reads contest.)
This is a really cute and educational picture book. It's appropriate for both boys and girls; the reading level is ages 4-8, I think that's fair. What I like about this book is that there's a lot of educational value to it. The author even had a curator from the Smithsonian Zoo's Great Cats exhibit review the book for accuracy! Aside from the obvious feline theme, the author even snuck in the days of the week and the four seasons.
Seven big cats are featured in their natural habitat with an example of their usual prey (no killing in the book! they all get away). Every other page features a housecat in the same pose as the big cat preceding them. The kitties' passages also echo the big cats' passages, emphasizing the parallels and tangents between wild and domesticated cats.
The art is OK. Not great, but not horrible. I think the writing stands out far more than the illustrations. If I were reading this to a child, the catchphrase used "I am (insert name of cat) and this is MY (insert territory)" begs to be hammed up. Kitties of all kinds have a lot of attitude, and this book captures that.
After the story, there are 4 pages of cat facts and trivia. First we have a decription of what a cat is and how they are related; like which cats are considered to be "big cats", etc. The next page features a map labeling the homelands of the big cats we have seen in the book. The third page of trivia lists some cat senses and adaptations, and the last page is some cat true and false. I found these bonus pages a pleasant educational surprise! Come to find out, the author actually designed this book to be a launch pad for educational discussion and further learning. There are several additional resources listed which can be found at the publisher's website. There are teaching activities for home or school, interactive quizzes, and spanish audiobooks.
Overall, I feel this book would be a great addition to any child's or school's library. Especially if you have a cat at home, your child can discover the wonder of the wild animal lurking in little kitty.
This is a really cute and educational picture book. It's appropriate for both boys and girls; the reading level is ages 4-8, I think that's fair. What I like about this book is that there's a lot of educational value to it. The author even had a curator from the Smithsonian Zoo's Great Cats exhibit review the book for accuracy! Aside from the obvious feline theme, the author even snuck in the days of the week and the four seasons.
Seven big cats are featured in their natural habitat with an example of their usual prey (no killing in the book! they all get away). Every other page features a housecat in the same pose as the big cat preceding them. The kitties' passages also echo the big cats' passages, emphasizing the parallels and tangents between wild and domesticated cats.
The art is OK. Not great, but not horrible. I think the writing stands out far more than the illustrations. If I were reading this to a child, the catchphrase used "I am (insert name of cat) and this is MY (insert territory)" begs to be hammed up. Kitties of all kinds have a lot of attitude, and this book captures that.
After the story, there are 4 pages of cat facts and trivia. First we have a decription of what a cat is and how they are related; like which cats are considered to be "big cats", etc. The next page features a map labeling the homelands of the big cats we have seen in the book. The third page of trivia lists some cat senses and adaptations, and the last page is some cat true and false. I found these bonus pages a pleasant educational surprise! Come to find out, the author actually designed this book to be a launch pad for educational discussion and further learning. There are several additional resources listed which can be found at the publisher's website. There are teaching activities for home or school, interactive quizzes, and spanish audiobooks.
Overall, I feel this book would be a great addition to any child's or school's library. Especially if you have a cat at home, your child can discover the wonder of the wild animal lurking in little kitty.
May 22, 2021
Such a cute book following big cats and domestic kitties. Bright colorful illustrations which are beautiful and a storyline that is easy to follow. Big and little cats standing up for their areas they live in. I highly recommend it for kids of all ages.
April 7, 2023
4 stars for this illustrated tale of the many species of cats - domestic and wild, and the days of the week - there is an error in the eye coloring of snow leopards - they are one of the few cats that do not have green eyes
July 13, 2021
I'm a Leo haha yea in astrology of course and I love cats like loveeee cats.
January 25, 2022
Good book
September 29, 2011
My Review: The author introduces us to seven wild cats like the tiger, cheetah, lion, snow leopard, cougar, jaguar, bobcat and pet cats in their different habitats.
On different days of the week, each wild cat and the kitties are asked questions about whom they are and their habitat.
“Who are you?” asks a gibbon. “And whose jungle is this?” The big cat growls, “I am Tiger, and this is MY jungle.” She chases gibbon up a tree. That same night, a spider asked the same questions. The little kitty growls, I am Tiggy, and this is MY porch.” She chases spider under a plant stand.
What I found funny was when the tables were turned on the wild cat. When a bobcat steps out of the woods unto a fresh cut grass he saw sitting on a lawn a kitty and a dog. The wild cat bobcat asked, “Who are you? And whose backyard is this?” The dog growls and barks. “I am King.” Little kitty hisses and puffs out her fur. “I am Queenie.” Together they shout, “This is OUR backyard!” The bobcat screams and bounds across the lawn and disappears into the woods.
This book isn’t only a fun picture book but it’s full of 4 pages of educational activities like:
• What are cats and how are they related?
• Cats of the World: A map and matching activity
• Cat senses and adaptations
• Cat true and false questions
This is an easy to read book with great illustrations that will have any child interested in the world of animals. I highly recommend this book for classroom reading as it introduces children to counting.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
On different days of the week, each wild cat and the kitties are asked questions about whom they are and their habitat.
“Who are you?” asks a gibbon. “And whose jungle is this?” The big cat growls, “I am Tiger, and this is MY jungle.” She chases gibbon up a tree. That same night, a spider asked the same questions. The little kitty growls, I am Tiggy, and this is MY porch.” She chases spider under a plant stand.
What I found funny was when the tables were turned on the wild cat. When a bobcat steps out of the woods unto a fresh cut grass he saw sitting on a lawn a kitty and a dog. The wild cat bobcat asked, “Who are you? And whose backyard is this?” The dog growls and barks. “I am King.” Little kitty hisses and puffs out her fur. “I am Queenie.” Together they shout, “This is OUR backyard!” The bobcat screams and bounds across the lawn and disappears into the woods.
This book isn’t only a fun picture book but it’s full of 4 pages of educational activities like:
• What are cats and how are they related?
• Cats of the World: A map and matching activity
• Cat senses and adaptations
• Cat true and false questions
This is an easy to read book with great illustrations that will have any child interested in the world of animals. I highly recommend this book for classroom reading as it introduces children to counting.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
May 20, 2011
Synopsis: Big cats are fierce predators that roam the world from the mountains to the deserts. How are these wild cats that hunt for their food the same as pet cats that might chase a mouse or a ball of yarn? How are they different? This book introduces children to the days of the week as they travel to seven different world habitats to meet the big cats, and then back home to compare and contrast the domestic cat’s behavior to that of its relative.
Overall thoughts: My family has cats on the brain right now, as our mama farm cat just had five kittens in our garage, but we would have enjoyed this book even without the new kitties. The illustrations are vivid and beautiful. The repetition is predictable, but in an excellent way that fully engages the young listener/reader. The included educational activities urge the reader to learn more about the cats and master the key points throughout the book. A lively and fun book!
Links: www.scotticohn.com
www.sylvandellpublishing.com
www.sylvandellpublishing.com.wordpres...
Overall thoughts: My family has cats on the brain right now, as our mama farm cat just had five kittens in our garage, but we would have enjoyed this book even without the new kitties. The illustrations are vivid and beautiful. The repetition is predictable, but in an excellent way that fully engages the young listener/reader. The included educational activities urge the reader to learn more about the cats and master the key points throughout the book. A lively and fun book!
Links: www.scotticohn.com
www.sylvandellpublishing.com
www.sylvandellpublishing.com.wordpres...
June 13, 2012
Cohn’s book is a wonderful introduction to the big cats of the world. After introducing each big cat, a domestic cat is introduced and their similarities are shown.
By indicating where the cat lives and what other animal lives there, the author brings in geography. The tiger lives in the jungle where the Gibbon also lives. The cheetah lives on the savannah. There are warthogs in the Savannah also. The lion lives in the Kalahari where the Springbok, a grazing mammal, also lives.
Although the big cats often chase the prey, in this book they never catch them. Prey is discussed later in the educational section of the book.
This is a great teaching book. It is for children from 4 to 9. The educational pages include the cats and their Latin names, cat senses, and a world map indicating where each of the big cats live, plus a list of interactive websites. The reader can decide how much to teach by age or the interest of the child.
By indicating where the cat lives and what other animal lives there, the author brings in geography. The tiger lives in the jungle where the Gibbon also lives. The cheetah lives on the savannah. There are warthogs in the Savannah also. The lion lives in the Kalahari where the Springbok, a grazing mammal, also lives.
Although the big cats often chase the prey, in this book they never catch them. Prey is discussed later in the educational section of the book.
This is a great teaching book. It is for children from 4 to 9. The educational pages include the cats and their Latin names, cat senses, and a world map indicating where each of the big cats live, plus a list of interactive websites. The reader can decide how much to teach by age or the interest of the child.
January 22, 2014
This is a translation of the 2011 book Big Cat, Little Kitty. The illustrations go well with the text. It is a story book filled with factual information about the cat family.
The story portion of the book juxtaposes a wild cat with a domestic cat with similar features. It follows a pattern that can be used in lessons (time of day, days of the week, and repetitive text). The pattern is well established, but goes on a bit too long for younger readers.
The back matter of the book includes definitions of types of cats, including pictures; a map with an associated quiz; a section on senses and adaptations as well as a true/false quiz. This section of the book would be useful for an independent reader doing research on cats.
The story portion of the book juxtaposes a wild cat with a domestic cat with similar features. It follows a pattern that can be used in lessons (time of day, days of the week, and repetitive text). The pattern is well established, but goes on a bit too long for younger readers.
The back matter of the book includes definitions of types of cats, including pictures; a map with an associated quiz; a section on senses and adaptations as well as a true/false quiz. This section of the book would be useful for an independent reader doing research on cats.
May 10, 2011
This is a nice way for small children to study the world of cats large and small. I love all the information that Sylvan Dell Publishing get into their books and the added activities on their website helps encourage further learning. These books are a great way to get small children interested in the world we live in.
March 5, 2016
It was an okay choice for an older kid (preschool, age 3-5) storytime, but even then it was on the wordy side and I had to cut out bits. And it just didn't engage the kids. I wouldn't read it again at a storytime, but I know it would be a good choice for parents and kids to read one on one. It's got great pictures and a fantastic theme/concept.
July 18, 2011
Adorable look at the comparison between wild and domesticated cats. Lots of facts and lively, colorful, wonderful illustrations.
July 19, 2011
This is a beautiful book with text that will make kids think about the difference between wild cats and domestic. The lush illustrations by Susan Detwiler jump off the page. Beautiful!
May 22, 2012
Liked the comparisons of big cats and domestic cats. Think kids will love it too.
April 2, 2013
Great illustrations & plenty of facts about great cats & their habitats, as well as about housecats.
January 11, 2017
Good book.
My 7 yr old nephew enjoyed the book. Kept his interest and was able to read it himself with might final help
My 7 yr old nephew enjoyed the book. Kept his interest and was able to read it himself with might final help
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews