The Cross-Eyed Kitten

The Cross Eyed Kitten is a sweet and heartwarming book about Ali, who is going to adopt a kitten for her birthday.

The illustrations are soft and beautiful, and I think children will enjoy exploring all of the different cats and dogs. The story is quite text heavy, so likely on for younger children to enjoy with the grownups. The book carries great messages to prompt discussion with children, around embracing difference, empathy and also the importance of adoption and caring cor animals.

Thank you BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

adopt don't shop!

my eyes rolled when I saw that this was a story about a child getting a kitten but then they go to a rescue which made me rather happy.

lovely little story

I felt this was a really cute story for kids to learn about how loving pets that are different is just as important as loving humans that are too. I enjoyed that Ali took her time looking at all the pets and really thought about which one she wanted.

This was a nice story about a girl who is excited about getting her first pet as a birthday present from her parents. The illustrations were adequate but not striking, though the little girl is portrayed very nicely.

This book has many good messages, and will help children to develop a sense of empathy towards others. I also liked that it advocated for adopting a pet rather than going to a breeder.

Themes handled with a light touch include bullying, ridicule and the importance of choosing to judge others on things that are more important than physical appearance. This is demonstrated as the little girl choses a kitten on the basis of kindness and personal chemistry rather than perceived cuteness alone.

My daughter and I used to volunteer at one of the many local pet rescues, and I was really proud that our rescue always took the pets that no one else wanted. The funny thing was that when people came in and saw how much we were loving over our blind, deaf, 3-legged, etc pets they got more excited and wanted them more. It's okay to be different!
The little girl in this story wants the perfect pet, and in her case, it's the different cat who can share the most love.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this cute story

This book was SO CUTE. Short and sweet, it got the point across. I thought that some illustrations were a tad bit creepy, I wasn't always the biggest fan of the characters' smiles... But other than that, adorable!!! When Ali explains why she chose the cross-eyed kitten... it truly wamed my heart.
The animals were beautifully drawn too, that's what stood out to me the most. Also, I appreciate how the family adopted an animal instead of going to a breeder!

This book had wonderful pictures. This book is about Ali, who gets a kitten for her seventh birthday. It would be relatable for many children and sends a message of inclusivity. The cat that Ali chooses is one that other children were making fun of. Sometimes if you look past the outside of something there may be a lot of love inside. I received an ebook from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial. This review is my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-copy of The Cross Eyed Kitten by Judith M Ackerman in exchange for a honest review..This is a wonderful story about empathy and compassion for others and animals especially those who might have physical and mental limitations.Ali for her birthday is promised a kitten from the Humane Society.Ali can have any kitten she wants but she chooses the cross eyed kitten after witnessing other children make fun of it.Ali shows lots of compassion when her father tells her the kitten won’t see her like another cat and she responds that he will see two of her and will know how much she loves it.Wonderful book and illustration for preschoolers and early elementary students.

This book is about a little girl who gets a kitten. The illustrations are adorable. I recommend this book!

I love me an orange kitten! This story was adorable and had a great meaning to it. The artwork was also cute.

I wanted to just read something very quickly as a pick me up and I saw this book and I LOVE cross eyed kitties. I thought it was cute and I am so glad that Ali saw the benefit of not just adopting a pet that was or looked normal. I thought the art was pretty cute but I wouldn't have minded more kitten action at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

What an adorable story! It brings me back to the simplicity of the childrens books from my childhood. We all deserve to be chosen by a loving family, like this adorable kitten.

I just read this book with my daughter and we loved it. She is obsessed with kittens and loves all of the illustrations in this book. The book is the perfect length for a bedtime story. I think it would be great for a kid who is going to get their first pet. When getting a rescue pet sometimes the ones that are a little different love you the most.

As a preschool teacher, I loved this book!! It’s so cute and sweet, and sure to teach children an important lesson about love and differences!

A big thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's fiction book. This is a story of a little girl Ali getting to choose the right kitten for herself. Very nice and cute story. Graphics are nice. They went to a shelter to get their kitten. 4 stars

This is a sweet heartwarming story about how a sweet little girl saw the beauty in a kitten everybody else was making fun of. I loved the lesson of compassion that was taught in this story. Even though the kitten was cross-eyed , Ali saw his beauty shining through.
I received a complimentary copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Such a cute book about love without conditions. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful, and give the younger audience a perfect visual reference. My four year old and I read the book together and she absolutely adored it. My daughter loved the little crossed-eyed kitten, and kept repeating how cute he is! I also really loved the shoutout to adopting and utilizing our humane societies. Very wonderful and clever book.

A beautiful story that shows just because some people don't see the value in certain things doesn't mean it isn't there. All it takes is that one special person to recognize the imperfect beauty. You don't have to be perfect to be worthy of unconditional love.

I loved this book! I love how the book specifically names The Humane Society. This way, children know that it's best to adopt a pet instead of buying one from a pet store. The illustrations were beautiful and calming. As someone who works in an elementary school, I know many children would love a story like this!

Thank you net galley for this book.I loved this story of Ali and the kitten.I also loved that she got her kitten from the Humane Society.She chose a kitten that the other kids did not want cause he was different.Ali fell in love with the kitten and did not care if he was different .I love how she told her parents the cat would feel twice as loved cause he saw two of her.

4/5 stars for this book!

This heartwarming book is all about embracing and accepting differences. Even when you're different and standing out, at some point, they will be seen as strengths. The book lays it out clearly.

Apart from that, it teaches adopting over buying when it comes to pets.

Another cool point: the illustrations are stunning and lifelike.

Some downsides of this cute book are:
1) Its text might be too much for kids aged 3-5 (they prefer cute visuals but informative, I believe)
2) The tones of its illustrations are too warm. Children (I saw it from my kids' reaction) like a colorful tone.

So, I conclude that this book is more suitable for kids aged 6 and above.

But overall, this is a good book!

This is such a good tale for your kids to learn - different isn't bad, and kindness is great! The illustrations are beautiful, and the story has a good message. I recommend this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Title: The Cross-Eyed Kitten

Author: Judith M Ackerman



Pub Date: 11/23/2023

Rating: 5 stars

Brief Summary: a story about a little girl who picks out a cross-eyed kitten from an animal shelter.

What I Enjoyed: I thought this book was super adorable. This would've been a book I would've loved to read as a child. I was born with crossed eyes, and I also love cats. So this was a book I could resonate with. Too bad it wasn't published when I was a child.

What I Disliked: Nothing


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I picked this book up since the cat on the cover reminded me of my cat! I enjoyed reading this book about Ali choosing a kitten at the animal shelter. There is a theme of finding beauty in difference, and it helps teach kids to accept and value differences. I would recommend to read to small children or for 7-9 year old to be able to read by themselves. Very cute story with a good message!

Princess Fuzzypants here: It is Ali’s 7th birthday and all she wants is to adopt a kitten. Barely able to control her excitement, she and her parents head towards the local Humane Society. There she is overwhelmed by choices until she sees children laughing at a kitten. When she goes over, she realize they were laughing because the kitten had crossed eyes. But as soon as Ali held the kitten and they looked into each other’s eyes, it was love at first sight.
Ali had her best friend and the kitten had her forever home.

This is a sweet story with great artwork but what sets it apart are the subtle lessons. They include adopting not shopping, and not overlooking the cats who might be different or special needs. It teaches compassion, something we all can use. This would be a great book for young readers to tackle on their own or as a great bedtime story for the younger ones.

Five purrs and two paws up.

thank you for allowing me to review this book!

despite not being a huge fan of some of the illustrations, the story is actually very adorable. maybe we can break it down a little:

1) teaches the child to embrace things that are out of ordinary in the world, like a cross eyed kitten.

2) teaches kids that animals are not toys, therefore they are not made to be some cute and perfect little kitty for entertainment. it is an animal with feelings and instincts, so a cross eyed cat deserves love just as much as a normal cat.

i just love this story too much, and the illustration of the kitty was so adorable that it made me want to hug it too! parents should definitely show this to their children!

This was such a cute book. I read it with my eight year old who loves cats. It gave us the opportunity to talk about what it means to have compassion for people and animals, and about how everyone is different, but that doesn’t make us less worthy of love.

The book had beautiful illustrations and it held my daughter’s attention. This is a perfect book if your child loves cats, and maybe sometimes struggles with being as kind as they should be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I'm a sucker for animal adoption stories, especially ones that involve animals, especially cats. It was hard to read the part about kids making fun of the kitten with crossed eyes, as I'm sure this happens a lot, and those animals may not be adopted. However, the message that this book delivers is great for children of any age (and some adults need this too). This is not only a lesson about kindness to animals and those who are different from what is perceived as "normal," but this is also a story about the love and care of animals and adopting instead of shopping.

For parents, this is a great book for introducing the idea of adopting a pet to children. The idea that you have to wait until a certain age and to show you are responsible. Makes me think of my first pet and learning about responsibility.

Last but not least: the artwork! Very realistic and sweet. Full of expressions and joy. Made the story come alive.

I loved this Book as it has the cutest cat in the story which is like my own cat 5 stars i hope the author does well with this book

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was so sweet, cute and beautifully illustrated.

1 completely illustrated page is always followed by a page with only text, not too much and in a big font, easy to read and understand.

This is very thoughtfully illustrated. The title having a heart dotting the i, the kitten shaped pancakes, how the kitten begged too (which was endearing and funny),…

The story is about a little girl named Ali. It’s her 7th birthday and she’s getting a kitten! When her parents take her to the humane society to pick one out, there’s an interactive question and illustration that kids will love! Ali has a hard time finding the right kitten and when she does, a heartwarming moment follows, where she shows compassion and follows her heart.

This is a simple, endearing story I loved.

This was an adorable story about a girl who wanted to adopt a kitten who happens to be a bit different. My 8 yr old really enjoyed this book. The pictures are lovely as is the story. Thank you to NetGalley an the author for letting us read an advance copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Judith M. Ackerman, and Story Teller Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a cute books about embracing differences, kindness, and inclusion. Perfect to add to a children's library as these are topics that are a huge focus for children in their school years. The pictures in the book are beautifully done. As a child, I experienced bullying due to my crossing eyes and other eye issues and found this story to hit very close to home. As a child I loved all things kittens and cats so I was naturally drawn to this book. This books is very wordy so it would I feel it would be geared best for children ages 6 and above.

Sweet story littles will enjoy about accepting differences in others. Ali is a careing little girl who is given a pet of her choice for her 7th birthday. There are many kittens to chose from at the animal shelter, but only one is perfect for her- a sweet cross-eyed kitten. Everyone else may have rejected this little kitten, but it is recognized as perfect to Ali. Nice ending to a wonderful tale. I think it will be a nice gift for a child comtemplating a pet. I liked the illustrations, too.

This is a beautiful story about a kitten with eyes just alittle different and the love between a girl and this kitten... of course the story is about adoption too so it take place before they take the lil guy home. But its beautiful drawn and made me tear up. Loved it!

This was a very cute little book! Really enjoyed it. As someone who works in rescue it’s nice to promote getting a rescue kitten over one from a breeder.

Very adorable story about a little girl who is very excited to ADOPT a kitten for her birthday. Love the message of adoption and the Humane Society and kindness in this story. Thank you, NetGalley for this free copy for review.

Such a good story. we really enjoy it for reading during homeschool learning. The story is great and the overall message is wonderful.

I adored this book about a little girl who gets a kitten for her birthday. When she goes to pick out her new friend she notices one that is very different from the rest. A great message about inclusion.

Brenda

I really like this book good for children. It also emphasizes to adopt or rescues instead of buying from breeders.
Most specially it teaches the kids to love and appreciate things that are not viewed as "normal".
Illustrations where also on point.

It is Ali's seventh Birthday! and today is her most awaited date as she will be able to adopt a pet as promised by her parents.

But how will she choose?

The Cross-Eyed Kitten is a quick little story about compassion and inclusion illustrated in the form of a cat with odd eyes. It teaches a quick lesson about morale and compassion. Though the story is very simple and straightforward forward it is perfect for the age group.
The art in the book is adorable and draws the reader in. In the story, there were more opportunities to talk directly to the reader, which it only did on one occasion.

I want to note that on the Kindle version, the art is not displaying correctly and is cut between several pages.

Unfortunately not a fan of the drawing style accompanying the story but the story was sweet enough. I thought it was important the author highlighted that because of its crossed eyes, the kitten was made fun of, bringing to attention the bullying and harassment ostracised children/people experience. Definitely a story worth expanding on since Ali’s parents were very quick to say yes. Having Ali’s friends meet the kitten could have also contributed to how people’s views on someone who’s disabled can change!

As someone who just got a kitten for my 50th birthday from. my parents this past summer, I related to the little girl in the book! I was just as excited as her to find my fur baby at the local animal shelter! I love that this book was set in South Florida because I also live in South Florida and have never read a book set here. I also love that the book focuses on adopting an animal from a shelter (Humane Society in the book) rather than buying a pet. And the message of adopting a pet who might be less desirable animal that other's may pass by was wonderful. The only thing I didn't love was the illustrations. This is probably a me thing though. The illustrations are more on the realistic side and I tend to like more whimsical illustrations. However, all the animals in the book were super adorable!

It's a cute story but I thought the sentences where a bit long for a children's book.
If you are reading it to a child, it doesn't matter but when the child wants to read it themselves it'll be difficult.
Also she said "yellow kitten" when the cat is orange.
Beautiful art.

3.7 ⭐️
A cute story about embracing differences. The art is so vivid and well done. This is ideal for ages 6-8, with the amount of copy, and will likely appeal more towards little girls.

Ali, age seven, excitedly wakes up on her birthday in anticipation of a new kitten. She must exercise patience until they can get to the Humane Society and pick out the perfect kitten. None of the kittens seem to be catching her eye, until she comes across a misfit that was rejected by everyone else for being different. It was love at first sight. Her excuse for wanting the kitten sends a heart-warming message about acceptance.

Overall, I felt like the beginning was fluff and the ending was too abrupt for the message to really get across. More value could be received if the story started with her picking out the kitten, and then have her defend her newfound friend against bullying kids, to further validate that everyone deserves love and acceptance.

I grew up with a beautiful blue-eyed Siamese cat that I nicknamed “Cross-Eyed Kee-Kat” so this title really tickled my childhood memories 💕

Thank you to NetGalley, The Storyteller Books, and Judith M. Ackerman for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Cross-Eyed Kitten tells a story of a young girl celebrating her 7th birthday with one wish-to adopt a kitten from the Humane Society. I think the story realistically depicts what it is like to walk to halls of an animal shelter looking for a pet. It provides great descriptive words and would be an excellent social story to demonstrate what it will be like for a family to find and adopt a pet. The text is large and plain which provides parents or grown-ups the opportunity to draw attention to certain words or sections of the story. The pictures provide excellent support for the story, which is a great aspect for little learners!

Thank you NetGalley and Judith M. Ackerman for giving me the opportunity to read and review the story!

This Cross-Eyed Kitten is a beautifully written and illustrated children's book about the importance of acceptance and inclusion. The main character, Ali wishes for a kitten for her birthday. When her parents take her to the animal shelter she just can't seem to find the perfect kitten....until she hears some other children laughing and making fun of an animal in the corner. She finds out they are ridiculing the most adorable cross-eyed kitten. Ali falls in love and convinces her parents to adopt the little cross-eyed kitten. This book could be used as a lesson in diversity, inclusion, disability awareness, bullying, etc. Not to mention the illustrations are GORGEOUS! Read this book with your children, you won't regret it!

Wow, The Cross-Eyed Kitten was really a sweet and heartwarming book.

The illustration is so pretty and the book's messages are great. I love how Ali love and picked the cross-eyed kitten instead the other normal kitten to ADOPT, not buy everyone. It's gonna be fun to discuss it with children about this book.

The text on the book was pretty heavy, I think it will more suitable for the older kids.

Thanks NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Judith M. Ackerman for the ARC for the exchange of my honest review!

This was such a cute little story. It teaches children to choose kindness and to not discount somebody just because they look different. It was written in a way that would be simple for a child to read alone or with a parent. The art was cute, and the kitten was adorable.

This book begins with a little girl who wants a kitten for her birthday. The book goes on to describe the experience of going to the humane society to pick one out. While there the girl notices one cat being bullied because it has cross-eyes.
Definitely a good moral of helping animals in need by adopting and not buying. This story also teaches to look beyond the physical.
The illustrations were good. Not very bright. The pages also have quite a few words so you will need to read it for your younger child.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Cross-Eyed Kitten is the cutest little read. The theming and writing is perfect for all ages, both young and old. I still enjoy reading a young reader’s book if it can make me feel something, and this book did just that; it tugged at my heart. I loved it! I will definitely recommend this book to shoppers when working as a bookseller.

This is a cute little story about a little girl picking out a kitten for her birthday. Ali's parents take her to the Humane Society to adopt a kitten without a home. Although all the other families are looking at the "prettiest" kittens, Ali doesn't feel that any of those are perfect for her. She sees a kitten with cross-eyes that she falls in love with.
This story is a great way for kids to learn that love doesn't always come in what others deem as a "perfect" package. Differences in appearance can actually make an animal - or human for that matter - more endearing.
I like that the story also talks about adopting an animal instead of purchasing one.
The illustrations are cute and kids will love to look at the different types of cats and dogs in the pictures.

Ali wanted nothing more than a kitten for her birthday and that is exactly what she got.

I really appreciated the message of adopting from the humane society, thought this was a great touch. There are so many animals looking for a home.

What a lovely story to teach your little one the importance of kindness, compassion and love.

I felt the illustrations were lovely however the pages with the writing were so plain in comparison. It would have possibly been nice to add the writing to the illustrated pages rather than have a separate page for the writing.

How sweet is this beautiful children's book The Cross-Eyed Kitten.



Written by Judith M.Ackerman and illustrated by Olivia Manta, this one is the story of Ali and her 7th birthday.
She is so excited, because her parents decided to accomplish a big desire of the kid: adopting a kitten. So Ali can't wait and nervuously eats her breakfast before to go with her parents to the Human Society for picking up a kitten. Once arrived, Ali is so surprised to see sooo many kittens. She is still looking at them, when she notices some nasty children making bad considerations on a kitten. Adorable, the only problems is that the kittens eyes are crossed. Ali pick him up, look at him attentively and she decides for this kitten, for sure not perfect but unique in its genre.

The parents asks why she is choosing him. After all this kitten won't never see her the way other kittens sees her. Ali is always more convinced: as she replies firmly to her parents:"Every time he looks at me he will see two of me, who loves him just the way he is, and he will feel twice as much love as all the other kittens!"


This little cute tells speaks of inclusivity, acceptance and of a best society. Beautifully illustrated, the story touches the heart.


I thank Netgalley for the ebook.


Anna Maria Polidori

The Cross-Eyed Kitten was such an adorable children’s book! I loved it so much! It’s a must have read for all cat lovers! The illustrations were gorgeous and the plot inclusive and beautiful. This story follows a young girl on her birthday as she chooses a kitten to rescue.

This was a cute story of inclusion and compassion, perfect for young children. The cross-eyes kitten of course was adorable as well as the other kittens depicted. The art and story are heartwarming with a subtle message to ADOPT from your local humane society!

Hello! :) Thank you very much to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. The Cross-eyed Kitten is one of the cutest books I have ever read. The story of the small kitten who found a home and of the birthday girl who poured her heart out and love for this kitten is just lovely. And the illustrations...oh my! These take my breath away. They are so life-like and so beautiful. The animals and their faces are super cute. I want to reach out and pet each animal and look into their eyes and take them all home. But most of all, I want to take home the cross-eyed Kitten. Or rather, the little kitten. The message in this book is one from which we all can learn. The sweet kitten must have been super excited to be the one picked, and, as short as this story was, it packs a powerful imagery and memory. I love this book and definitely recommend it. Thank you! :)

It’s Ali’s seventh birthday and her parents promised a kitten for a present. They went to the Humane Society. This story teaches about being different and unconditional love. Sweet, wholesome story. I received a free advance review copy, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

What an adorable story about a child picking an animal that is special and different. What a wonderful message to give children. Really enjoyed reading this one.

It’s Ali’s 7th birthday and it’s finally the day she is allowed to have a pet. All she wanted for her birthday is a kitten! She’s extremely excited! Ali and her parents went to humane society to finally choose a kitten. Ali look at all the kittens and held them but nothing seems to be the perfect kitten for her until she found the cross-eyed kitten and Ali fell in love.

I love what Ali said when she told her parents the reason why she wanted the kitten. At such a young age, she learn some deeper things in life which is truly heartfelt. I love that the book talks about kindness, empathy, and embracing differences.

The drawings are also very detailed. I can even see clearly the fur of the kittens and it’s fascinating.

Overall this is such a good read. I would recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Storyteller books for the advance reading copy.

This is such a sweet book about a little girl who gets to choose a kitten from the humane society for her birthday. There are lots of children there looking at the kittens and there are so many to choose from, she doesn't know how she will pick one, Then she notices some children making fun of one of the kittens whose eyes are crossed. She decides to look at this kitten and falls in love.

I love the illustrations in this book - they are beautiful. The story is just a sweet tale with the lesson that it's OK to be different and sometimes being different is the best thing.

A nice story about empathy and inclusion with sweet illustrations. I also liked that the book promoted adopting rather than buying pets.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

What a sweet book this is! I loved it as I have adopted cats from shelters and the story touched my heart. Both children and adults will love this heartwarming tale and its characters. It's precious and adorable!
Thank you to the author and publisher for a copy of this arc.