No sentiment is misplaced kids will relate to Pigeon’s eagerness and apprehension. Wearing his feelings on his wing and speaking directly to the audience in first person, the Pigeon describes realistic thoughts and emotions about waiting and guessing about the unknown-common childhood experiences. So…will he really try it? Are roller coasters fun? When the moment comes, everything seems to go according to plan: waiting in line, settling into the little car, THEN-off he goes! Though the ride itself isn’t quite what the Pigeon expected, it will delight readers. (He’ll also feel dizzy and nauseous.) All this before the Pigeon ever sets claw on an actual coaster. Then, he imagines his emotions afterward: exhilaration, post-ride blues, pride at having accomplished such a feat, and enthusiasm at the prospect of riding again. He envisions zooming up and down and careening through dizzying turns and loops. The Pigeon prepares mentally: He’ll need a ticket and “exemplary patience” to wait in line. Since learning about the existence of roller coasters, he’s become giddy with excitement. The Pigeon is on an emotional-and physical-roller coaster. A winner for a winter storytime, this is as amusing as watching real kittens romp. Preschoolers will, no doubt, choose their own names for them. Not naming the kittens is a clever and shrewd stroke, enabling the artwork to imbue each cat with personality by its color, feline antics and expressions. As the fourth kitten laughs, jumps and rolls in it, the other three look at each other and say, “We’ll be right out!” Grinning and licking snowflakes, the fourth kitten replies, “I can’t wait.” The spare text is charmingly illustrated with simple black-lined kittens, minimally delineated scenes and white bordered spreads that frame the colorful felines. Then one winter morning they awaken to snow. The first kitten says, “Snow scares me!” The second kitten says, “Freezing cold!” The third kitten says, “Cold to the tips of our tails!” But the fourth kitten says, “I can’t wait!” All through summer and autumn, the three kittens worry and the fourth one can’t wait.
Once there were four kittens who had never seen snow.
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