Cat’s Colors, by Jane Cabrera, is a pleasurable discovery of a kitten’s colorful adventures for children who enjoy bright pictures and a short, enchanting tale. The author’s first attempt at children’s literature, Cat’s Colors is a delightful book conceived to introduce young readers to several colors, as well as reinforce color recognition and enhance their understanding of how these colors relate to things around them.

Within its thirty-two colorfully fun pages, an orange and black striped kitten first asks readers, “What is my favorite color?” Cat then suggests ten colors throughout his tale, introducing youngsters to green, pink, black, red, yellow, purple, brown, blue, white, and orange. One minor caveat: the color variations of red and orange are fairly similar, not completely distinguishing one from the other as is expected in a color concept book such as this one.

Introducing each color as a question, Cat immediately follows each query with a sentence describing his association to it, as well as a pictured illustration that lends itself to the child’s color concept of the world around the kitten and himself. Throughout this children’s tale, the reader is taken through the author’s palette of colors while trying to guess which one is Cat’s personal favorite, and why.

It is a simple story, with a heartwarmingly purrr-fect ending, sure to bring a smile to your little ones' faces. At the end of this short tale, Cat will reveal that his favorite color is orange, the color of his mother.

“Is it Green? Green is the grass where I like to walk.”

The large double-paged design of illustrations enhance a young reader’s experience with its use of vivid imagery while allowing for the author’s use of bold, large text. Cabrera’s illustrations are painted with broad, heavy brushstrokes that are reminiscent of a skillful finger-painter, extremely unique and eye-catching.

Toddlers and preschoolers will be drawn to the bold illustrations, as was even my younger child at the age of eight months. At the age of two, Cat’s Colors was a favorite of my toddler, as was Cabrera’s subsequent book, entitled Over in the Meadow at the age of three.

I have also found that this particular story premise tends to draw out even the shyest child when asked to name a few things that he/she personally associates with a color introduced by this friendly feline. Whether it is a favorite ice cream, shirt, or a much-loved teddy bear, most youngsters will enjoy sharing their experiences and knowledge of colors during the reading of this tale.

Not overly long, this is a book that can easily be read to your youngest feline enthusiast before a nap and is certainly a storybook to use with a group of toddlers and preschoolers. Adults can ask each to share their understanding of colors and how they relate to objects around them in the reading room, outdoors, or at home. Cat’s Colors can also be included as an easy reader for older siblings, as they may glean a bit more confidence through the conceptual pictures and large accompanying print while attempting to expand their vocabulary.

Not a book to teach older siblings primary colors by any means, however, it is one that will not overwhelm a budding reader. This cheerful book simply offers the youngest child a feel-good tale that can either be told at a quick pace or at an adult’s leisure, allowing for more or less audience participation.

Cat's Colors is truly a charming conceptual book of an endearing striped kitten and his perspective of the colorful world around him. It's a light-hearted tale sure to have little ones asking for it to be read over and again.

Recommended: Yes