1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Henkes, Kevin.
2004. Ill. by Kevin Henkes. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN
0060588292
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This story is of young Kitten's experience in her first
night observing a full moon, which she accidently mistakes as a big bowl of
milk. Her quest for this big bowl of
milk turns out to be more work than expected.
After a series of mishaps and failed attempts in obtaining the elusive
prize, Kitten returns home disappointed.
However, a nice surprise awaits her after her long night.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Author and illustrator Kevin Henkes creates an endearing
story that many young readers can relate to.
At the heart of the story is Kitten and the depths she will go to in her
quest to go after something she truly wants: the big bowl of milk that sits in
the sky. The strengths of this story lie
in Henkes use of both descriptive words and charcoal drawings to bring readers
in for the ride.
Henkes' choice of vocabulary and repetitive use of words
help to create imagery in the story as well as reveal insights into Kitten's unwavering
determination. The use of action verbs
such as "wiggled", "sprang", "chased", and "leaped" all help to describe
the lively energy in Kitten's movements as she pursues the big bowl of
milk. Henkes also repeats several descriptive words to further emphasize Kitten's
determination. For example, when Kitten
tries to reach the big bowl of milk in the sky, she "climbed and climbed
and climbed" her way to the top.
After she spots what she thinks is an even bigger bowl of milk on the
ground, she "raced down the tree and raced through the grass and raced to
the edge of the pond". The
repetitive use of action verbs helps to cement in the readers' minds that
Kitten is not one who gives up easily.
Kitten's persistence is further revealed through Henkes use
of the phrase "Poor Kitten!", which appears after each of Kitten's
failed attempts. I believe Henkes uses
this phrase almost as a way out for Kitten, should she chose to give up in her
pursuit. Readers would certainly
understand if she did, since Kitten's journey has resulted in a series of
mishaps. But for the four out of the
five times this phrase appears in the story,
Kitten does not give up. A true testament
to her staunch spirit!
In addition to word choice and usage, Henkes uses his
illustrations to reinforce the characteristics of Kitten's determined spirit. For example, after Kitten leaps and falls
down from the top of the stairs, readers see an image of Kitten licking her
wounds and cleaning herself up. As she
does so, her eyes are focused on the prize.
In the middle of the story, after not having any luck chasing down the
big bowl of milk, readers see Kitten in a stealth-like pose, low to the ground
and on the prowl, with her head down, her eyes still trained on that elusive
bowl of milk. This image beautifully
mimics a cat's natural hunting tendencies.
The illustrations also help to establish the setting and
plot of the story. The use of simple,
two-dimensional charcoal drawings with varying shades
of black, white, and gray establish the time frame of the story, with the night sky shaded
in black and the moon traced in a bold ring of black to offset its brilliant
white light. While some may see the lack
of vivid colors as unappealing, the use of the same three colors helps young readers
to stay focused on the story and Kitten's task at hand. The charcoal drawings are also used to show Kitten's facial expressions and what
she is feeling: big, rounded eyes to show shock and fear and a surprised smile
spread across her face as she finally finds a bowl of milk on the porch after
her tiring journey.
Henkes cleverly uses spatial placement of Kitten and the
moon on separate facing pages to emphasize the conflict of the physical
distance that exists between the two. On
three occasions, Kitten and the bowl of milk are shown split from one
another. Kitten is shown on the bottom
of the left-hand page while the bowl of milk is located on the upper side of
the right-hand page, diagonally opposite each other. Kitten's ongoing struggle to get to the bowl
of milk is further highlighted by the statement spread across the two pages:
"Still, there was the little bowl of milk, just waiting." Futhermore, Henkes uses split frames to capture the action
of Kitten's journey and move the story forward.
As Kitten chases after the moon, readers see five horizontal frames, one
on top of the other on the same page, with each frame showing the different
locations Kitten has visited- the sidewalk, the garden, the field, and the
pond. In another series of frames,
readers see Kitten leap down from the tree and ready herself as she tries for the
bigger bowl of milk in the pond. In one
particular frame, only half of Kitten's body is seen, perhaps because she is
too fast for the illustrator to capture!
The prevalent theme shared with young readers is that
anything worth having takes determination and perseverance. As the saying goes, "If at first you
don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again." Young readers are able to
relate to Kitten because they know that learning about new objects or events
can be a frustrating. Readers both young
and old are sympathetic to Kitten's confusion of mistaking the moon for a big
bowl of milk because at one time or another, everyone has been incorrect. It is through the experience of trial and
error where learning occurs and we fine tune our understanding. While Henkes does a wonderful job with Kitten
to encourage young readers not to give up so easily, I was disappointed with
the story's ending. Although it is a
satisfactory ending for young readers-Kitten does end up getting a big bowl of
milk, I wonder if it sends the wrong message to them- that they will always be
rewarded with what they want if they just try hard enough. Obviously, this is not always how the world
works and may be something adults can discuss with older children.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
2005 Caldecott Award Winner
BOOKLIST: "Henkes' text, reminiscent of Margaret Wise
Brown's work in the elemental words, rhythms, and appealing sounds, tells a
warm, humorous story that's beautifully extended in his shimmering, gray-toned
artwork. Working in bold black lines and the silvery palette of moonlight, he
creates a lovable, expressive character in the determined kitten, and his dramatic contrasts of
light and dark capture the excitement of a nighttime adventure."
KIRKUS: " A keen sense of design uses double spreads
and panels to depict the action and Kitten's
puzzlement. Some spreads are almost all white space with dark shadows outlining
Kitten and the moon. The style is reminiscent of
Clare Newberry (Marshmallow, April's Kittens) without soft, fuzzy
shapes, but artful in its gracelessness and naïveté, just like a kitten. Simply charming."
5. CONNECTIONS
* To promote critical-thinking: Create a fun problem-solving
game by placing an object in different locations and asking a child how he/she
will get to it.
* As a science lesson: Have students study the different
phases of the moon and how long each phase lasts. As an ongoing activity, have students go out
at night and draw the moon. Have
students make a booklet of their drawings with the correctly labeled moon
phases.
*Other books of adventures to capture the moon:
Carle, Eric. PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME. ISBN 0887081770
Emmett, Jonathan. BRINGING DOWN THE MOON. ISBN 0763642673
Lin, Grace. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. ISBN 0316038636
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