Synopsis

Willow the wildcat kitten and her brother Corrie live in a cozy den in the forest with their mom. But disaster strikes when a nosy sheepdog collapses their den. Can the kittens stop fighting long enough to learn how to work together and find a warm, safe new home?

Written in lively rhyme, this charming tale of two siblings learning to appreciate each other and work as a team features dynamic watercolor illustrations of forest wildlife and two adorable wildcat kittens, which are endangered in Europe.

Review

Read: November 2019

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Reviewing a children’s book can be truly refreshing. The task staring you down is unimposing – I mean really, it only takes a few minutes to read a picture book – and it’s relaxing to partake in a story accompanied by such delightful illustrations.

What I appreciate most about Willow the Wildcat is that it introduces children to a subspecies of animal that most adults haven’t even heard of: Felis silvestris silvestris, the Scottish wildcat. Instead of inundating their young audience with excessive information, Rickards and Harris-Jones adhere more to the route of entertaining the readers with a story and include a brief external snippet about the Scottish wildcat and the threats it faces. Given the intended audience’s age range, this strategy would be more likely to hold the readers’ attention than the information strategy. The story is short, of course, but it has distinct exposition, rising action, climax, and conclusion. The authors neatly wrap up their tale with a happy, heart-melting ending.  And can I just say: The illustrations are adorable!

Thank you to Edelweiss+ for the free digital ARC!

Image and synopsis are taken from BarnesandNoble.com.