Moses the Kitten

This is a great children's story from one of the best story tellers of our time. James Herriot, the English Veterinarian whose books have been best sellers for years, has had his stories reproduced here in a form which in compatible for children. This is the story of a kitten, probably about six weeks old that is found freezing by a pond while Dr. Herriot makes one of his farm visits. The kitten is taken to the farmer's wife for care. The farm has no kittens or black cats, which makes it a mystery as to where the kitten is from. The kitten is eventually adopted by a mother sow and her litters and the kitten apparently like his new home and his new running mates as he spends the rest of his life living with the pigs. This is a cute story told in typical Herriot fashion. I was very pleased to find that the publishers kept in place and retained the regional dialect. Our children are, at times, rather sheltered from anything but American English, and I feel it important that we expose them to other dialects/accents at an early age. There is nothing here that the kids cannot work around, even if a little help is given here and there. The art work by Peter Barrett is absolutely delightful. They are accomplished in soft colors with a soft touch and match perfectly with the text. I have to agree with another reviewer here who stated that you should resist going over the pictures before you first read the book. The text and the illustrations absolutely make the story and need to be viewed and read for the first time together. All in all, this is a wonderful children's book and certainly belongs on any child's book shelf.

In the beginning a man found a very ill kitten, so he went to a farm close by. The people there said, "We can help." They gave him some warm milk and meat scraps. Moses, the kitten, one day was hungry and nobody was around. So he went searching for food. Then he found a sow (or pig) and saw all her piglets. They were all eating so he decided to call the sow his mother, and he drank from her and got milk. As he grew up he had a very good life and he always remembered and kept company with his adopted mother, the sow. From A Ray of Sun Shine on AOL

This is a very touching story. There is a lot of valuable information about farm life that I think is fascinating. Some of the language is tough for a child. However, it is great for a child to learn his/her grammer.

I loved this book. I love all of James Herriot's books. He is my favorite author. To bad he is dead. He died in 1994. This book is about a little kitten who is found by a vet. Moses is put in the stove to warm him up. The farmer's wife puts him with the piglets. And he starts to eat with them. And he lives with them forever. Buy it. You'll love it.

The text of this book is pure James Herriot, with absolutely no attempt to speak down to a young audience. Therefore, the use of the regional dialect may be a bit of a challenge to some young readers, but the exquisite illustrations should spur nine year olds & older to read it for themselves. It should be stressed that this is a true story as all of Herriot's writing is based on his experiences as a country veterinarian. Do resist the temptation to skim through the book for the illustrations before reading it though. The illustrations are definitely a part of the story and one of the double page illustrations will definitely get a better reaction if not seen until one reads the preceding text. If this "children's book" is left out on the coffee table, I predict that everyone in the family will at one time or another read it and enjoy it. I'm sure that any teenagers will wait until nobody sees them reading it, and that they won't admit enjoying it, but chances are they will. Also, this book may well inspire those 12 and older to read James Herriot's adult books.