Being stuck in China with little access to affordable English books has made me appreciate e-books!
Here’s another nice read from the Philippines for preschool or primary-age children. “The Black Kitten” is about a highly-innovative kitten who discovers the power of public speaking.
I enjoyed reading this book because the storyline was entertaining (and funny), the illustrations were bold, eye-catching and complemented the story really well.
Plus, I learned a bit of Tagalog from this bilingual book!
The blurb reads:
Imagine how sad Ignacia the kitten must feel when everyone shoos her away. She may be a black cat, but there are many things cats can do for people even if they are black.
Ignacia is a little, black kitten who is shooed and booed at every house she passes by due to the superstitious belief that black cats bring bad luck. Thinking about her sad situation, she figured out that she should introduce herself to the next person she meets – and counter the prejudice that person has about black cats.
Thus, the cute kitten prepares a short speech about herself, her skills and the benefits the prospective owner would gain if she adopted her as a pet!
Reading this book, I had a really good laugh at the way Ignacia promoted herself when she meets a little girl. The next time I teach a class on public speaking or business communication, I’ll be sure to use this book as a resource.
Who should read this book?
Preschool or primary-age children who face a low self-esteem about their appearance. Coming from mixed parentage, I remember growing up meeting people who were prejudiced against the way I look.
In school, friends and teachers who got to know me realized that I was more than what I appear to be. I think I succeeded in getting this across due to my talkatativeness!
When I became a teacher, I noticed that average students who seldom participated in class generally escaped a teacher’s attention. Thus, I tend to remember students who were either brilliant, talkative, mischievous or performing really poorly.
The average student ends up staying average – and invisible.
When children read “The Black Kitten”, I hope that they will learn from the way Ignacia promoted herself through her little speech. And realize that if they take the first step to introduce themselves, people will be able to see them beyond the colour of their skin, the features on their faces, their shapes or sizes 
Read “The Black Kitten” here.
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