★ 07/24/2023
At a feline adoption event, plenty of kittens are “fluff and fuzz and floof.” But the narrator, a brooding child portrayed with brown skin and black hair, senses a soulmate in a “sticky, scratchy, spiky” orange tiger cat. “We all feel spiky sometimes. And when I saw so much fury in your furry face,” writes Hubbard (Watch the Sky), making a picture book debut, “I thought maybe we needed each other.” Digitally assembled watercolor and ink illustrations from Gal (The Tower of Life) movingly reinforce this prickly kinship via emphatic brushstrokes and dramatic hues. Between the child and “Dear Stray,” the relationship can prove a rocky one. While the child empathizes with the cat expressing its inner tiger, its reactions also seem to heartily reflect the child’s own arm’s-length relationship with the world (“All the world’s a cage when you’re a cat with the heart of a tiger,” they say before hissing at a sibling). A day spent together in the calm of the outdoors, followed by a few scary hours when the kitten goes missing, enables each to let down their guard and realize comfort and vulnerability: “I like you pointy,” says the child with a quiet smile as the kitten cuddles contentedly, “but I love you purring.” Ages 3–7. Illustrator’s agent: Gail Gaynin, Morgan Gaynin. (Sept.)
* “Digitally assembled watercolor and ink illustrations from Gal movingly reinforce this prickly kinship via emphatic brushstrokes and dramatic hues. Between the child and ‘Dear Stray,’ the relationship can prove a rocky one. While the child empathizes with the cat expressing its inner tiger, its reactions also seem to heartily reflect the child’s own arm’s-length relationship with the world. A day spent together in the calm of the outdoors, followed by a few scary hours when the kitten goes missing, enables each to let down their guard and realize comfort and vulnerability.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “The girl’s narration is deceptively simple, poignantly belying the complexity of her feelings, both toward the kitten and toward herself; she understands their mutual need for space but sometimes wishes she could open herself up more. . . . While the pair seem to believe themselves in their own separate little worlds, viewers can track the two as they circle each other, emotionally and physically, with the cat trailing after the girl with an inquisitive expression in some scenes and the girl looking for the cat in others, a clear need for connection in her face and body language. The watercolor-and-ink art is rife with detail and texture, with black scritch-scratches making up the girl’s messy hair and the cat’s tiger-striped fur, and the girl’s angular form echoes the claws-out feline’s fury. . . . Respects its characters’ need for space while still giving them emotional connection.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review
“A child writes letters to a new kitten. ‘Dear stray,’ they begin; each letter reveals details about their developing relationship and the protagonist’s uphill path to emotional growth. . . . With mismatched socks, tangled hair, and a persistent scowl, the child is a mirror of the kitten, who has their hackles raised and claws out. . . . But as the kitten starts to settle in, the child, too, finds a way to calm the inner storm. . . . The child and kitten are still plenty spiky but also soothed by the joy of belonging to each other. Tender and earnest, this sweet story will speak to any reader who has ever felt like an angry kitten. Saturated watercolors and forceful brush strokes expressively capture the child and the kitten in motion. . . . A touching tale about two prickly pals who find a way to be soft together.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Days filled with emotional twirls and sticky, spiky, scratchy shared feelings between a young girl and her adopted stray kitten immediately convey to readers it’s okay to be grouchy. . . . The story begins each day with “dear stray,” revealing a child’s innermost irritable self and her relationship with the kitten that grows from the prickliest hisses to a shared tenderness guaranteed to appeal to anyone who has ever felt like an irascible feline. Poignant text complemented by strong vibrant watercolor washes evokes feelings in motion. The expressive drawings saturate each page making this story about a tempestuous young girl and her fierce furry companion come to life in the softest way possible. With sensitivity and compassion, Hubbard’s characters display emotions that bridge several social-emotional topics, making this gem of a book accessible to readers across several grades and reading levels.” —School Library Journal
09/01/2023
PreS-Gr 2—Days filled with emotional twirls and sticky, spiky, scratchy shared feelings between a young girl and her adopted stray kitten immediately convey to readers it's okay to be grouchy. The two are kindred spirits, a mirror of each other, both with their claws out ready to pounce. But as time passes, their tenuous relationship becomes calmer and more earnest as they begin to understand each other. Written as journal entries, the story begins each day with "dear stray," revealing a child's innermost irritable self and her relationship with the kitten that grows from the prickliest hisses to a shared tenderness guaranteed to appeal to anyone who has ever felt like an irascible feline. Poignant text complemented by strong vibrant watercolor washes evokes feelings in motion. The expressive drawings saturate each page making this story about a tempestuous young girl and her fierce furry companion come to life in the softest way possible. VERDICT With sensitivity and compassion, Hubbard's characters display emotions that bridge several social-emotional topics, making this gem of a book accessible to readers across several grades and reading levels.—Lyn Smith
2023-06-08
Gradually, a kitten adjusts to a new home.
A child writes letters to a new kitten. “Dear stray,” they begin; each letter reveals details about their developing relationship and the protagonist’s uphill path to emotional growth. Though friendlier kittens were available, the child opted for the angry kitten because “we all feel spiky sometimes.” Indeed, with mismatched socks, tangled hair, and a persistent scowl, the child is a mirror of the kitten, who has their hackles raised and claws out. The child projects feelings of fear and pain onto the kitten, admitting, “I guess nothing can hurt you if you scratch first.” But as the kitten starts to settle in, the child, too, finds a way to calm the inner storm. Then, after a difficult day, the kitten goes missing. This time, rather than lashing out, the child opts for vulnerability and patience. Once reunited, the child and kitten are still plenty spiky but also soothed by the joy of belonging to each other. Tender and earnest, this sweet story will speak to any reader who has ever felt like an angry kitten. Saturated watercolors and forceful brush strokes expressively capture the child and the kitten in motion. The narrator and the family are brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A touching tale about two prickly pals who find a way to be soft together. (Picture book. 4-8)
