''The Shy Little Kitten'' is a famous

Little Golden Book Little Golden Books is a series of children's books, published since 1942. ''The Poky Little Puppy'', the eighth release in the series, is the top-selling children's book of all time in the United States.. Many other Little Golden Books have b ...

written by Cathleen Schurr and illustrated by

Gustaf Tenggren Gustaf Adolf Tenggren (November 3, 1896 – April 9, 1970) was a Swedish-American illustrator. He is known for his Arthur Rackham-influenced fairy-tale style and use of silhouetted figures with caricatured faces. Tenggren was a chief illustrat ...

, noted for his illustrations featured in fellow Little Golden Book '' The Poky Little Puppy.'' Originally published in 1946, the storybook has earned a reputation as one of the most iconic, classic Little Golden Books ever written and as a popular children's picture book.

Premise

A cat gives birth to a litter of kittens, including a bashful, timid kitten who winds up wandering away from the rest of her family. Along the way, she winds up encountering a

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

, whom she accompanies for a stroll through the grass, and the pair stumble upon a friendly toad. The meek kitten also befriends a frisky black puppy, and manages to return to her mother and sisters in time to join them and all of her new friends on a

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

. After a rather comedic incident involving the frog being stung by a

bee Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyly, monophyletic lineage within the ...

and all of the attendants dining at the picnic winding up leaping into a nearby

pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...

to safety, the kitten declares that she has experienced "the best day ever."

Popularity

Although it is not as well known as ''The Poky Little Puppy'', ''The Shy Little Kitten'' and its main protagonist have achieved recognition and fame as a popular Little Golden Book. The character of the Shy Little Kitten has also been featured in animated television adaptions or direct-to-video children's films.

References

Little Golden Books Children's books about cats {{child-book-stub