Keith Among the Pigeons

by Katie Brosnan, Katie Brosnan (Illustrator)

Overview

Keith is a cat, but he’d rather be a pigeon. He loves to watch them and learn their ways, but they won’t let him get too close. Will Keith ever make friends with the pigeons and learn how it feels to be one? Will he ever find out who he really is and feel comfortable just being Keith?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786283436
Publisher:	Child's Play-International
Publication date:	04/15/2020
Series:	Child's Play Library
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.88(w) x 9.88(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Katie Brosnan loves being creative. When she isn’t drawing, writing or screen-printing, she helps to run art workshops for children and makes one-off ceramic characters. She achieved an MA with Distinction in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art and a BA in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. In 2018, Katie was a UK winner in the international picture book competition ‘Picture This!’ and was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize for illustration.

Katie Brosnan loves being creative. When she isn’t drawing, writing or screen-printing, she helps to run art workshops for children and makes one-off ceramic characters. She achieved an MA with Distinction in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art and a BA in Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University. In 2018, Katie was a UK winner in the international picture book competition ‘Picture This!’ and was highly commended in the Macmillan Prize for illustration.

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Keith is no typical cat, though he likes to nap and keep clean like fellow felines Nigel and Hilda. Unlike others of his kind, however, Keith is fond of pigeons. He is so fond of them, in fact, that he tries to sound like them, eat like them, look like them, and even fly alongside them. In the end, Keith realizes he can never become a pigeon and he'll never be like other cats but settles for being himself—whatever that may be. The text never reveals why pigeons are so appealing to Keith or even why they ultimately accept him for his differences. Brosnan's illustrations, a blend of pastel-colored paints and line drawings, feature rather generic birds, not specifically pigeons, but Keith is the most eye-catching character, in pumpkin orange with bright red spots. An ambiguous ending leaves Keith's identity unresolved: If not a cat or pigeon, then who is he? Children invited to hear his story will likely wonder the same and possibly overlook the main idea about finding oneself. VERDICT While this tale of self-discovery and acceptance of differences promotes a valuable lesson, it doesn't completely achieve that goal. An alternative like Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles may communicate these concepts more effectively.—Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2020-02-26
A quirky critter finds birds of a feather.

Keith is a vibrant orange cat who likes all the things other cats like: napping, bathing, and bird-watching…in his own way. Rejected by his kin, he decides to pursue his preference for the company of pigeons and spends his time on a bench on the park writing lists of their good qualities (“Pigeons have a great time…THEY CAN FLY”) and composing “Hi-coos:” “Flapping wings so free, / It’s the pigeon way to be / Would they accept me?” Struggling to make an introduction, Keith sets out to be “a bit more pigeon” and ends up painting himself pigeon blue after a charming montage featuring a fabulous feather boa. This plan works with flying colors until it starts to rain. Keith then tries to be a “proper cat” to no avail, and he eventually, predictably, learns that perhaps being himself was the best option all along—not a cat, not a pigeon...Keith. Brosnan’s luminous illustrations are lively and endearing, with a printlike look, keeping the story well-paced by alternating between spot illustrations and spreads. A fresh take on a well-worn subject, this British import deserves a soft spot in the heart of anyone feeling out of place, be it for their identity or due to a particular fondness for rock doves.

A sweet story of self-actualization about a kind being who defies cat-egorization. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews