Joy

by Yasmeen Ismail, Jenni Desmond (Illustrator)

Overview

Oh, boy! Oh, boy! A lively kitten is full of joy until she takes a tumble. Can a little comfort from someone special help her feel happy again?

A bouncy kitten loves to play. She scampers from the bed where her mother sleeps. She wriggles and races all through the room, chasing her ball of yarn, until — TRIP, TRIP, SLIP, FLIP! OH, NO! A romp with a big blue dog sends the kitten tumbling! Who can make things better again? Award-winning author-illustrator pair Yasmeen Ismail and Jenni Desmond celebrate the love between a parent and a little one with this buoyant, rhythmic read-aloud. Simple, playful language captures the kitten’s irresistible energy, while cheerful mixed-media illustrations create a cozy world for all the adorable action. RUN, RUN, FUN, FUN. This story is pure joy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536209341
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/09/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	546,035
Product dimensions:	9.44(w) x 10.94(h) x 0.34(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Yasmeen Ismail is an award-winning author, illustrator, and animator whose debut children’s book, Time for Bed, Fred!, was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year and the V&A Illustration Award winner. She is the author-illustrator of Christmas for Greta and Gracie and many other books for children. Yasmeen Ismail lives in Bristol, England, with her husband, their toddler, and Betty the cat.

Jenni Desmond is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. In 2016, she was a Maurice Sendak Fellowship recipient. She is the illustrator of On the Night of the Shooting Star by Amy Hest and the author-illustrator of Albert’s Tree, among many other books for children. Jenni Desmond lives in East London with her husband and their daughter.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2020

A bouncing ball hops across a living room, its trail a dotted line: “Bounce bounce boing boing ding-a-ling ring ring let’s sing!” Nonsense words by Ismail (Nuts) voice the cheerful chaos that a kitten leaves behind as it discovers the joy of play; a knocked-over laundry rack and festoons of red yarn testify to earlier exuberance. The mother cat watches as the ball boinks across the room, ringing a metal lampshade and bonking a Great Dane’s ears (“I feel joy!” says the kitten, following it). Then the kitten trips, slips, bounces down a flight of stairs: “Crash bang wallop bonk-a-donk donk ow.” The mother cat is on the scene in a flash: “Now, look at me. Are you all right?/ Did you get a little fright?” She licks her kitten and hoists it back to bed for cuddling. Reassured, the kitten is restored in a moment and ready to play. Feather-light artwork by Desmond (The Elephant) comprises dashes of bright color (the laundry), feathery green leaves (of houseplants), and strong, simple forms (of big dog and cat), which invite readers to follow cause-and-effect trails while underscoring the healing power of parental attention. Ages 3–7. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Uncluttered, white backgrounds; clear, colorful details; a buoyant protagonist; and a spirited text make this a perfect choice for one-on-one or group sharing. A satisfying, full-fledged story that deftly accommodates the short attention spans and kinetic needs of young listeners.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Rhyming text and onomatopoeia (like "Jingle jangle, wriggle wrangle, in a tangle") are fun to vocalize as readers cheerfully witness Joy’s antics. Acting much like any toddler, the gray-and-black tabby knows no fear until she has a slight accident and requires a bit of comforting...After receiving just the right amount of cuddling, Joy's energy ramps right back up—"Oh, boy! Oh, boy!"—and she’s back to her spirited explorations. This delightful kitten will charm readers of any age.
—Booklist (starred review)

Feather-light artwork by Desmond (The Elephant) comprises dashes of bright color (the laundry), feathery green leaves (of houseplants), and strong, simple forms (of big dog and cat), which invite readers to follow cause-and-effect trails while underscoring the healing power of parental attention.
—Publishers Weekly

Simple, adorable illustrations and rhythmic text engage readers from the start. Adults will certainly recognize the lovable toddler-like chaos the young kitten creates, and the aloof posture of the other two pets. This charming book will make its way into story hours, and is a recommended purchase for most libraries.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

07/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—A tiny, joyful gray kitten is playing with a ball of red yarn while a brown cat and a big gray dog rest. The kitten is creating quite a mess as playing with the red yarn turns into playing with a blue bouncing ball. All the bouncing and running and happiness takes a turn when the kitten slams into the leg of the big dog and unexpectedly trips and slips right out the cat door, and down the stairs. The kitten is suddenly very sad, but the brown cat emerges to administer kisses and comfort before carrying the small imp inside. Children will be delighted to see that more adventures for the kitten are in store. Simple, adorable illustrations and rhythmic text engage readers from the start. Adults will certainly recognize the lovable toddler-like chaos the young kitten creates, and the aloof posture of the other two pets. VERDICT This charming book will make its way into story hours, and is a recommended purchase for most libraries.—Shana Shea, Windsor P.L., CT

School Library Journal

★ 2020-03-01
The exuberant play of a kitten is the subject of Ismail’s latest picture book.

The cover depicts a furry, gray feline leaping in midair while clutching a red ball of unraveling yarn. The loopy, crimson line leads all eyes forward while setting the stage for readers to follow the motion lines in the subsequent action-packed pages. Short, high-energy rhymes and onomatopoeia add to the fun: “ZOOM-ZOOM / ZIM-ZAM / CLIP-CLOP / HIP-HOP /What a trip— / don’t stop!” accompanies the loop-the-loops of the young pet as it follows a bouncing rubber ball and tumbles into a standing lamp. After knocking over the food dish, wreaking havoc with the laundry rack, and crashing into the family dog, the creature is propelled through the cat door and crashes down the back steps. Fortunately, the watchful mother cat is right there with a “little hug, a kiss, a squeeze,” and she proceeds to “check your paws / and clean your knees.” In no time, the kitten is distracted and begins chasing a butterfly. Uncluttered, white backgrounds; clear, colorful details; a buoyant protagonist; and a spirited text make this a perfect choice for one-on-one or group sharing.

A satisfying, full-fledged story that deftly accommodates the short attention spans and kinetic needs of young listeners. (Picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews

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