Glitter Kittens

PreS-Gr 3--Four glittery kittens set out for the day, certain they will outshine their less-than-sparkly friends. When the kittens finally find their hiding buddies, now wearing sunglasses, a game of hide-and-seek is suggested. While the kittens hide, their friends promise to "count to a million and three" and then come searching. As the friends relish in the kittens' absence, they forget to count and accidentally set a glitter-eating monster on the kittens' path. Faced with the choice of ignoring their sometimes-overwhelming pals or stepping in, the friends ultimately choose this as their moment to shine and rush off to help. The colored pencil and glitter illustrations feature fixed-expression cats that hover between sweet and unsettling, a style that may not appeal to every reader. Illustrations and even wordless panels are essential to the story's flow, requiring readers to interpret visual cues to grasp the action and underlying humor. While the narrative plays with themes of identity, personality differences, and the bonds of friendship, the subtlety of these ideas may slip past younger children expecting a straightforward, cute kitty adventure. Still, the balance of text and illustration, along with the unexpected monster twists, adds interest for all those who appreciate offbeat picture books. VERDICT A solid addition to picture book collections, best for libraries looking for quirky stories to add to their rotation.--Louie Lauer

Faced with a terrifying enemy, a group of perky felines and their pals discover what it really means to shine brightly. The four Glitter Kittens wake every morning believing that the world is drab and sad without their sparkling presence. They skip off to brighten the days of their Best Best Friends--a decidedly un-sparkly bunch that includes a cracked bottle, a monocle-wearing potato, and a lone shoe. The self-aggrandizing kittens never notice that their friends, feeling annoyed and jealous, are avoiding them. As soon as the kittens depart, a Glitter-Eating Monster arrives to hunt for its favorite feline snack. The Best Best Friends hesitate but ultimately decide to rescue the kittens. Eventually, the cats sacrifice their glitter to defeat the monster, and glitter rains down on everyone. The kittens don't mind sharing, and everyone dances off to light up the world together. With its lessons of humility and friendship symbolized by sharing literal sparkle, the tale feels like a more nuancedRainbow Fish. But important moments tend to rely heavily on body language and subtext, and the youngest readers may miss some of the subtleties. Despite the text's tongue-in-cheek, saccharine overload of kitties, rainbows, and glitter, the kittens aren't all that cute. They have beady eyes, pronounced bone structures, and scraggly whiskers. Though the juxtaposition keeps the story from becoming cloying, the overall effect is slightly unsettling. Walks a fine line between charming and off-putting.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.