Black Cat & White Cat: Baby's First Visual & Emotional Learning Board Book

by Claire Garralon

A black and white board book with a colorful surprise!

Black cat and white cat are friends. But in a world of black and white, someone is always hard to see! Can they find a way to play together without someone disappearing?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Fiction, Animals, Juvenile, Art

32 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A black cat lives in a white house and a white cat lives in a black house, one day they make friends and play hide and seek. As they camouflage into their surroundings they find a colourful place to play together.

A fun, short board book about friendship.

Read on Open Library.

[Thomas Vandiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so glad these cats got to play together in the end.

When they got together, they reminded me of my tuxedo cat, Boethius.

[Emma Refvem · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very cute!! The high contrast is great in the newborn stage but the story seems cute enough to bridge into the time when he knows what’s happening.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isaac's visual interest 👀 (3 is top): 👀👀👀

How good it is as a book for me to read aloud while breastfeeding 🍼 (3 is top): 🍼🍼

[Tatyana Naumova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Про двух котов, которые хотели жить в красочном мире (хахаха).

[Emily Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 4 month old's favorite book. Just as exciting on read #115 as it was the first time

[Sierra Enochs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great high contrast illustrations with a story that can grow with them.

[Daniel Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was really cute. My version says ages 1-3 but looks just like this and is a board book so I'm assuming it's just marked to different ages.

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Mostly YA Lit:Hello, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm so happy to be back to blogging again! It feels great to be reading and reviewing again since my baby has taken over my life.



In case you missed it, this is my daughter, Gemma. She was born in mid-November.  She's now 9 weeks old, 8.5 lbs, and an absolute joy. We had quite a ride with her - a lot of extra hospital visits, tears, breastfeeding issues. I'm happy to say that things have levelled out a bit and we've gotten into a bit of a routine.



Getting to know Gemma has been both incredibly terrifying (What if I can't soothe her? What if she can't eat? What if she never stops having gas?) and incredibly rewarding. She's just started smiling for real, and it's just everything to me to see her sweet face happy and healthy.



Anyway, in terms of blogging, I'm going to do my best to get reviews and some fun stuff up, but posting will be slower. I'm aiming for one post a week, and hoping you guys will enjoy seeing some new stuff, like a BabyLit feature for all of you aspiring or new parents, or for those friends you're gifting to.

Speaking of BabyLit, this is a book blog, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Gemma's current favorite books.
4 Favorite Baby Books To Read To Your Newborn


 



This was a baby shower ask from me, and gifted by Michele from Just a Lil Lost! I wanted a high contrast book that focused on - what else - cats! Luckily, Gemma loves it - the patterns are easy for her to look at and focus on, and the story is fun and cute.



This is cloth book given to us by my mother-in-law. Gemma loves all the colours and the fact that the book has a crackly sound inside. The rhymes are great for her to listen to and remember. She loves it when my husband reads it nice and slow, and in a funny voice.



This is a classic for a reason. Right away, Gemma loved the rhymes, and she's been more and more interested in the colours as her vision improves. It's also a little different because it has a moment where the story kind of corrects itself, which makes me laugh.



This was another gift from Michele, and it's got a pretty cute message - in rhyme, of course - about what a feminist baby can be.

Got any other baby books that newborns in your life love? Send me your recs, I love finding new books for Gemma! And don't worry, guys - more reviews of YA books, as well as romance, are coming.

Thanks for sticking with me during this hiatus. I'm excited to get back to talking books with you!

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Cat & White Cat is a nice sized board book meant for those younger kids that are still a bit rough on their books. Board books are nice, they hold up to a lot.

Black Cat & White Cat is about, you guessed it, a black cat and a white cat. The black cat lives in a white world, and the white cat lives in a black world. They want to play with each other, but every time one tries to visit the other, one of them disappears!

The artistry in this book is very simple. It is in black and white, so it is a really good book for younger kids/babies that like to look at contrast and having them do so even helps develop their vision!

However, I feel that there is an underlying message to this story. An important one... but I think it will get lost on the littles. You can always use it to open up a discussion with them, but depending on the age, it still may be quite a bit over their heads.

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers can enjoy this board book simply on its own merits as a story about two different cats. But it can also be appreciated as a metaphor for the way many of us approach life. In the case of each cat, they cannot see each other and play together in a black and white world. Instead, they leave their safe spaces and frolic in a colorful world. The book gives readers something to think about as they ponder the similarities and differences of those around them. The stark contrasts of the black and white colors will appeal to young readers, especially because of the delight of the last page.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's one of those high-contrast books for babies, but there's a plot, so, for the parent, it is far more engaging than what you'll find in the competition.

Aside: when I ask my one-year-old if he wants a story, he will emphatically shake his head "no" and then point to this book.

Given the inclusive moral and the Taoist imagery at the end, it was a little surprising that both cats were male.

my favorite quote: "White Cat visits Black Cat and whoosh! He disappears."

[Beth Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun baby board book with delightful black and white high contrast imagery tells the story of two cat friends attempting to play together. When they finally find a place to play, the world becomes a colorful place. The story can be enjoyed as a simple tale or an allegory. My son who's too young to understand the words loves looking at the pictures. I enjoy both and will have fun re-reading this book to him!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cybils nominee for board book. More later.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book.
When I was about 12 hours old, Mom read it to me, but I fell asleep right away. The next night, she read it to me, and I made it to when, "whoosh!" black cat disappeared. I was worried about black cat the whole next day. Good suspense. When my mom read it to me again this next night, I stayed awake the entire time. Needless to say, I am glad black cat was okay and didn't disappear forever. I loved seeing black cat and white cat playing together. Will definitely be reading again.

[Coralie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

I'm an adult. I love this book. I am honestly considering buying another so that I can take them aboard, and have the whole story framed on my walls.

Bold black and white = very visually engaging for babies and toddlers. (And adults who love art and design).
Clear, "simple," sweet story about friendship, exploration, discovery, differences, and finding the common ground, that has a lot of layers that even adults can find powerful and interesting.

And...cats. CATS. Best thing, ever!

[Connor Rooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kid is 8 days old and definitely didn't retain a single thing from my reading this to him. He did focus on the pages, which is good, the black and white high contrast thing is important at this stage (I gather), and he also pooped himself at the end, I assume out of excitement at the emotional climax.
Really though the 5 stars is because *I* enjoyed it so much. I think this book is clever and sweet, and I really really like it.

[Maria Shuffit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute little book with great contrast that appeals to a little one's eyes. My ten-month-old tends to be more interested in chewing on and waving around books lately than looking at them, but this one, he kept stopping to stare at the pages. The story itself is really sweet, too, and could be a great early introduction to racial peace.

[Chinook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This bored me and I didn’t love the illustrations particularly. Maddie loved it though - she’s super into cats and can actually say cat, so she loved shouting out cat every single page and pointing to them.

[Edelweiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally buying this next time I need to get a baby book.

[Mary Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable book perfect for young children, given the high contrast illustrations and the simple text

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift for a friend's baby shower. Lovely book for babies!

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

High contrast book that will draw in a baby's rapt attention to the illustrations. The final page could be a bit over-stimulating to the wee ones so proceed with caution!

[Daniel Pool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable high-contrast imagery designed for newborns to stare at (it works!). Cute enough that the little one will no-doubt grow into it as she starts to comprehend the world.

[Cathie Stumpenhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny grandson likes this one!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed reading this book to my newborn. The high contrast is good for her to practice focusing her eyes.

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

 I have officially found the book form of Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift.

 

[Elizabeth Croston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black cats in white houses! White cats in black houses! Crazy world. I thought it was just about cats until my friend Jen told me it's all about inclusion. :-O Ok Jen... baby just likes the cats.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming tale of friendship, compromise, and diversity. Loved the pictures!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that for a black and white baby board book this actually had a story. And the last spread is really fun to look at!