Itty Bitty Kitty (Maddy Mara, illus by Noémie Gionet Landry, Affirm)
Maddy Mara is the pseudonym for publishing powerhouses Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger, who have between them worked across industry roles from illustration to acquisitions. Having previously collaborated on picture books and graphic novels, Itty Bitty Kitty is their first for junior readers. This collection of three charming chapter books introduces Itty Bitty Kitty as she meets her adoptive family and starts the process of taming them to her satisfaction. Each tale opens with a Sally Rippin-esque refrain: ‘This story starts with …’ and introduces children to common cat behaviours and communication techniques. Reminiscent of Ailsa Wild’s ‘Naughtiest Pixie’ series, the formatting is perfectly designed for the age group with lots of repetition, short, simple sentences and variation in font style and size for emphasis. Every page features Noémie Gionet Landry’s black and white illustrations, depicting our extremely cute protagonist as curious and confident in equal measure as she explores her new home. Repeated motifs of making friends, understanding emotions and confronting fear gently emerge from the stories and will delight those at the beginning of their reading journey and parents alike.
Annie Waters sells books, writes about books and podcasts about books.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
