Kit & Kaboodle

by Rosemary Wells, Rosemary Wells (Illustrator)

Overview

In the spirit of Max and Ruby, Rosemary Wells launches a new preschool picture book series starring brother-and-sister twin cat duo Kit and Kaboodle, and the mischievous mouse Spinka!

Kit and Kaboodle are twin Siamese cats. The brother and sister are very good kittens—they are always well behaved—but they are always getting into trouble. It's not the kittens who are making mischief. It's a red-capped mouse named Spinka!

There are three short stories in this picture book: Sock Mischief, Baseball Mischief, Bath Time Mischief.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250315625
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	60 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than thirty years and 120 books. She has won numerous awards and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than thirty years and 120 books, including Hand in Hand and Kit and Kaboodle. She has won numerous awards and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

"this book is really about one thing alone: the idea that being a parent is the most important, wonderful job in the world." —Publishers Weekly on Hand in Hand

Stella's Starliner:

"This evocative picture book makes an absorbing read-aloud choice for young children. Something new from the creator of Max and Ruby, and countless other beloved stories, is sure to be in demand." —Booklist, starred review

Max & Ruby at the Warthogs' Wedding:

"Wells' signature illustrations will charm readers as they pore over the lovely patterns that enrich the Hotel Ritz." —Kirkus Reviews

Love Waves:

"With cozy pastel scenes and gentle verse, Wells makes tangible the powerful emotional connection between parent and child, reminding children that longing and, more importantly, love are both two-way streets." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

From the Publisher

05/01/2018
PreS-K—An odd offering from the prolific Wells. Three short tales feature twin kittens, Kit and Kaboodle (K&K), their parents, and a devious little mouse named Spinka. In the first story, the twins get socks from their grandma, but the sneaky rodent steals the socks from the washing machine. In the second, she swipes baseballs from the bag right before Kit and Kaboodle go play baseball with their dad, and then makes off with a muffin mysteriously called "blimpie." In the third, the critter uses up all of Mama Cat's Parisian bubble bath during K&K's bathtime and uses their electric toothbrush. As "Kit and Kaboodle never made any trouble," they aren't blamed for any of Spinka's doings. The feline family members hardly notice the mouse's misdeeds or the mouse, which makes her acts strangely passive aggressive—Spinka mostly gets mad about being excluded when the cats don't even seem to know she exists. This indifference makes her seem like an imaginary character, but alas she appears to be a real, if somewhat boring, nuisance. Wells's signature illustrations feature wide-eyed almost invariably smiling characters. Frames, word balloons, and solid-colored backgrounds make some pages feel cluttered. VERDICT These bland and largely pointless tales lack Wells's usual deft touch at understanding and depicting compelling and realistic child behavior. A supplementary purchase at best.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

School Library Journal

2018-03-18
Kit and Kaboodle are the stars of Wells' newest series, kitty twins who never make any trouble—but a little mouse named Spinka creates all kinds of mischief for them.Wearing a jaunty red cap, wee Spinka is the villain of this "not me!" story. In three short vignettes, the little mouse creates just a teaspoon of trouble in each. Mama and Daddy immediately blame the twins for each misadventure, while the kitties profess their innocence. Neither adults nor children ever notice the sneaky squeaker, who gleefully relishes her devious behavior. With signature Wells' colors and animal sweetness, the illustrations will have young listeners searching out the impish mouse. The trouble is tiny indeed, as the extent of it is only a slightly stern parent blaming the children for using too much bubble bath or eating one of the chocolate blimpies. Discussions can focus on how Spinka feels left out when she doesn't receive a gift or isn't invited to play baseball. Will Spinka ever be caught? Or is Spinka just an imaginary pot-stirrer? Further ambiguity is introduced when Kit, who wears a dress and pink shoes while Kaboodle sports shorts, is referred to with the same masculine pronoun as their twin. Is it a typo or an exploration of gender ambiguity? Readers will need to wait till the next installment to find out.A brief introduction to good twin kitties and a rascally mouse. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews