Big Cat, Little Cat
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Strikingly designed tale of cat-kitten friendship.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In BIG CAT, LITTLE CAT, an adult white cat lives alone until one day a small black cat comes. "The cat showed the new cat what to do. When to eat, when to drink, where to go [pictured with litter box], how to be, when to rest." The days go by and the little cat grows to the same size as the big one, and they romp and play for years. "Until one day the older cat got older and he had to go ... and he didn't come back." The black cat is sad. "Until the day a new cat came." Now the big black cat teaches the new little white cat all the things the big white cat had taught him when he arrived. The cycle of friendship and caring continues.
Is It Any Good?
This graphically stunning picture book uses just two colors -- black and white -- to tell a sweet story of love, loss, and growing up. Kids will relate to learning how things are done from older kids and adults as they strive to do all the stuff they can do. And families coping with the loss of a pet will find comfort in a message of resilience in Big Cat, Little Cat that still acknowledges how hard that kind of loss can be. The cute drawings of cats playing, "working," snuggling, and sleeping, are irresistible.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about all that the little ones learn from the big ones in Big Cat, Little Cat. Do you have an older brother, sister, cousin, or friend who has taught you how to do things? How does it feel when an older kid pays attention to you?
What do you think of having all the pictures just use black and white? Would the book be as interesting if it was in full color? Why do you think the author-artist chose to use just black and white?
Have you ever had a pet who died? How did that feel? Did you get a new pet soon after?
Book Details
- Author: Elisha Cooper
- Illustrator: Elisha Cooper
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: March 14, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 6
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Caldecott Medal and Honors
- Last updated: July 27, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate