Jack the Kitten is Very Brave Book Review

ByCrystal @ Surviving a Teacher's Salary

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Jack the Kitten is Very Brave
by Tabitha Smith
illustrated by Mindy Lou Hagan

I had the great pleasure of reviewing this wonderful kids book with my son! Jack the Kitten is Very Brave is an adorable and friendly book that invites children to share a pirate adventure with two loveable cat brothers (Jack & Machu), and help Jack the cat face his fear of water. Jack the Kitten is Very Brave was actually inspired by Tabitha’s two real life cats- both of which were rescue cats.

 

 

My son is an avid lover of books, and when he saw this book come in the mail he immediately wanted to read it. We have two cats and my kids are such huge animal lovers that Jack the Kitten is Very Brave was a huge hit. Not to mention that my son loves to pretend he’s a pirate like Jack! The book is quite a bit longer than I was expecting! It’s really a long story but a good one. Each page has beautiful kid-friendly illustrations- I really loved reading it!

 

 

Jack and his big brother Machu were playing pirates, but Machu was playing in the bathub, and Jack was scared of water. Machu looked like he was having so much fun splashing around in the water with his boats. The book shows Jack’s fear of water, and helps the children by showing them how he overcame his fear in a positive way. I really think that kids can relate to Jack because most every child I know of, my own included, is afraid of something. Seeing that it is OK to be scared, and facing your fears is a brave thing is a lesson that all children can learn from.
It helped my son learn that it is OK to be scared of things, and that it is also OK to try something new that you are scared of because you may be pleasantly surprised!

 

Interview with the Author, Tabitha Smith:

Q: What gave you the idea for this book?
A: The idea came from my actual cats! Jack is always fascinated with the bathtub. He’ll sit on the edge while it’s filling up and paw at the bubbles, but he hates the idea of going *in* the tub. I love kids and I’ve worked with them for about 16 years, so I thought it’d be a great way to talk about fears and how imagination, fun and play can make you forget all about the fears you had.

Q: Is this your first children’s book that you’ve written and what have you learned from it?
A: Yes, my very first children’s book! I’ve learned a lot about storytelling, especially to children. You need to make stories smart and interesting for kids so they don’t nod off in the middle of it. Kids love adventure and humor even more than adults do. I’ve also learned that a lot of adults still love picture books! It seems every time I show the book to a friend they sit there and read the whole thing!

Q: What lessons do you hope that children learn reading about Jack?
A: That even if you’re scared of something, you can still be brave. And bravery can be fun! I hope they understand that imagination is very important. I think life without imagination is way too boring. Also, it’s awesome to have a ton of bath toys (but I think they already know that).

Q: Are you planning on some more adventures for Jack & Machu anytime in the near future?
A: Yes, my illustrator (Mindy Lou Hagan) is starting to work on our very next book called “Machu the Cat is Very Hungry”. It’s about patience.

You can buy Jack the Kitten is Very Brave on Amazon

A huge thanks to Tabitha for the opportunity to review this great children’s book!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this review. I did receive a book to read. All opinions are 100% mine.

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2 Comments

  1. stash mama says:

    Aww great review I will look for that!

  2. Leandrea at Coupons Are Great says:

    This book looks adorable!! A book about bravery is often what kids need. How fun!

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