Smitten with Kittens

Delicate graphite illustrations and gentle rhymes extol playful curiosity in this kitten-smitten picture book by the married collaborators. The cuddle factor is high as the animals’ smudgy heads peek around the edges of the book’s opening pages: “Who isn’t smitten/ with a kitten’s sweet MEW// and all the cute things/ that kittens will DO?” Accented with occasional pops of color (a tongue, a nose, a bowl, a bird), sketches show various gray kitties observing a red cardinal, gazing cross-eyed at a monarch butterfly, peering out from a jumble of unspooled toilet paper, and otherwise exploring. A final close-up of one fuzzy feline “all curled up in a cozy lap” is practically pettable. Back matter includes 10 “fun facts” about cat development and care. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)