Book Review: Moo Kitty Finds a Home

Title: Moo Kitty Finds a Home

By: Valerie Lee Veltre and Liz Leonard

Published by: Squidgy Press  Date:  2011

ISBN: 978-1-60800-010-4

Price:  $16.95

Ages: 5 and up

Rating: 5 stars

Reviewed by: Wayne S. Walker

     Synopsis:  If you were looking for a pet housecat, where do you think would be the best place to find one?  Moo Kitty, so named because he looks like a black and white Holstein cow, lives with his human, an elderly lady, on a tree-lined street in a nice brick house surrounded by flower gardens and rose bushes.  However, after many happy years, Moo Kitty’s human goes to heaven.  Moo Kitty is removed from the house along with all the furniture and put out with the trash cans.  That night, while he is sleeping, three angel cats, Fred, Calvin, and Maybelle, promise that even though he won’t see them they will always be with him.  The next day he meets a lady who takes in stray cats but she has so many that there’s no room for another.  He also meets a man who feeds him but can’t keep him because his wife is allergic to cats.  So he is taken to an animal shelter.  Moo Kitty makes a lot of friends there, but they all end up being adopted and he is left alone.  Will he ever find a home?

     Overall thoughts:  Moo Kitty Finds a Home is based on the true story of a real cat which author Valerie Lee Veltre, of Bee Tree Farm in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass horse country, rescued and gave a home to.  It is not only a lovely story that will tug at the hearts of children, especially cat lovers like our family, but also encourages people to consider obtaining an older pet from an animal shelter rather than buying from a breeder or pet store.   In fact there are several pages in the back of the book which provide a list of benefits to, and tips for, adopting an adult pet.  An additional advantage is that youngsters will take comfort in the assurances of the three angel cats which appear to Moo Kitty.  And they will find the charming illustrations by Pennsylvania artist Liz Leonard to be adorable.  Also, publisher Squidgy Press has set up an affiliate program to help shelters financially in their critical mission.  Moo Kitty is an uplifting tale that deals with an important problem of our day in a way that kids can understand and appreciate.

     Links: www.MooKittyFindsAHome.com (book), www.lifereloaded.com (publisher)