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“There was a cat who lived alone. Until the day a new cat came... There was a big cat, and a little cat.“

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper tells the tender story of two cats sharing a home and a bond through the cycles of life. With simple, expressive illustrations, it captures the joys of companionship, the sadness of loss, and the comfort of new beginnings. This touching tale helps young readers understand the emotions of saying goodbye and finding healing.

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper features a minimalist art style with simple lines and a muted palette, capturing the quiet beauty of daily life. The story explores themes of friendship, loss, and renewal, following the bond between two cats as they grow together and face change. It was a 2018 Caldecott Honor book, recognized for its touching illustrations and emotional depth.

It could be beneficial to read this book in a classroom if there were some type of death or loss. While it is really simplifying death, it could be a good starting point and loss is likely a topic that a lot of students could relate to.

“Until the older cat got older and one day he had to go... and he didn't come back. And that was hard.“

Award Winning- Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper is a short story, with illustrations mostly written in black and white. The book was published in 2017 and won the Caldecott Honor Award in 2018. The illustrations are simple and in black and white. These illustrations adds to the story through really bringing to life the story of the cats, which stands out against the simple illustrations.

“a new cat came“

This book could be used when talking about friendship and leadership. This could also be used if a new student were to come into the class and the teacher wanted to remind the students that they can help others.

This book is a 2018 Caldecott winner. The first main cat of this story is tasked with showing the new “little cat“ how to live life. This is a story of trust and friendship between two beings. I think that the way this book is laid out also helps with the emotions that the first cat is feeling. Through the pages, you can tell how responsible the white cat feels, and as it continues that responsibility is passed to the black cat.

“The cat showed the new cat what to do“ This role transfers over from the old cat, to the new cat, and then the cycle repeats. The circle of life!

Big Cat, little cat by Elisha Cooper, 2017. This book was awarded a Caldecotte honor in 2018. I loved this book because of its simplicity. The pictures are black and white, and the words run across the page - just like the cats. It is a story of growing up, and getting old with animals and all of the growth that comes along with that.

“Until the day, a new cat came.“

I feel like this would be good to read in my Kindergarten classroom because the pictures are simple enough they would be able to easily understand the flow of it. I think it would also be a good opportunity to talk about different emotions the students may be feeling, or if they have experienced anything similar.

Big Cat, Little Cat: Cadecott Honor Book- 2018
Illustrations are mainly black and white with a little bit of yellow here and there. Although the illustrations are mainly black and white, the illustrator make great contrast between different characters throughout. The illustrations look almost hand drawn with a black marker. This allows the story to feel personable and feel like it could happen to anyone.

“Days went by -- and months, too -- and the little cat grew
and grew
and grew.
Big cat, bigger cat.“

For a student who is dealing with the death of a pet at home, or a class pet, this would be a decent book to read. It explains how everyone becomes sad when the big cat is gone. This includes the family and the other cat. Then it shows an option for coping with that cat being gone. The solution in this story is to get a new cat for the now older black cat to play with.

“Big Cat, Little Cat“ a Caldecott Honor Book. This book is written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper. The images in this book are very interesting. The entire book is black and white. One cat is white, and the new kitten is black. It shows them playing together and more. One day the older cat is gone and now the black cat is fully grown. The family gets a new kitten that is white, almost filling the space of the cat that is now gone.

“Until the older cat got older and one day he had to go away... and he didn't come back.“ This quote mad me really sad because I was so invested in the relationship between the white cat and the black cat.

I think that this book would be good for maybe a child who had lost a pet but I also think that it is quite sad even for that situation. This picture book has a lot of adult themes which should be thought about before reading it to a classroom.

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper. 2017. Picture Book. Caldecott and Charlotte Zolotow Award winning. This was a sad book about the life of a black cat and white cat and eventually the white cat passes. Then one day a new cat comes and at the black cat shows the new cat how to be. The illustrations show how the family and cat felt when the one cat passed.

The cat showed the new cat what to do.

This story touches how it may feel to lose a pet. This can be used at a specific time in the classroom if a student is going through this. Big Cat, Little Cat also touches on how someone older can teach someone younger how to do things.

Big Cat, Little Cat is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper. The book was published in 2017 and was awarded the Caldecott in 2018. Big Cat, Little Cat is a very sweet story. With intriguing bold art and lots of heart, it's a story that conveys the cycle of life in simple terms that kids can be able to grasp.

“Big cat, little cat.“

“Big Cat, Little Cat“ is a short story that uses simple, repetitive language and simple pictures to relay its main message: the cycle of life. This is a great book to read in class and could spark discussions of what the cycle of life is, how it could impact us, and how to continue through hardships.

“Big Cat, Little Cat“ is a fictional picture book written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper in 2017 and received a Caldecott Honor in 2018. This book tells the story of a big cat whom lived alone until one day, a little cat came by. The big cat taught the little cat everything it needed to know and they lived together for years, until the big cat had to leave. The little cat was now the big cat until another little cat came along.

Days went by-and months, too-and the little cat grew and grew and grew.

This cute story shares the importance of family, friendships, and new beginnings.

Big Cat, Little Cat was written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper and published in 2017. This book won the Caldecott Honor in 2018. This book shares the story of a family adopting a kitten and how the older cat welcomes it into the family. This book highlights the importance of friendship and the cycle of life.

“For five minutes each day, they went wild.“

This would be a great book for new readers. It has decodable text, with an easy flow of words. This book could also be used in a morning meeting to discuss pets.

Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper. This book has a nice rhythm with the words. There is an easy flow, along with simple illustrations to help follow along with the story. Published: 2017 and Caldecott Honor: 2018

“The cat showed the new cat what to do. When to eat, when to drink, where to go, how to be, when to rest.”

This would be a good book to use in the classroom if someone in the class has a pet pass away.

Big Cat, little cat by Elisha Cooper, 2017. Caldecott Honor Award Winning Book. This picture book is fantastic for learning in a fun way about animals and the life cycle. The readers can easily follow along because of the brief phrases. The story of the book is about two cats that grew up together before the big cat left one day and never returned. The cat that was abandoned will soon be joined by a new cat, and everyone will be happy once again.

This Caldecott honor book would be great for PR. The short sentences makes it easy for partners to read every other line. This precious (RF) story is about an older cat who gets a new kitty sibling who he teaches everything too, until one day the older cat passes on & leaves the younger cat with his wisdom to share with future siblings down the road. (Not going to lie, this book made me tear up... lol)

This book won a Caldecott Honor award for its interesting illustrations. They are nothing too crazy, but their beauty is in the simplicity that draws your attention. The images also really animate the easy to follow text.

I would use this in my future classroom because it is incredibly cute and really easy to follow along with. It is simple, but not too simple to where the children would be disengaged.

“The cat showed the new cat what to do, when to eat, when to drink...“

“The cat showed the new cat what to do, when to eat, when to drink...“ I thought this was a cute quote that shows how the big cat takes the new little cat under his wing.

This is a very good book for young readers because it is simple to read and has a plot they will be able to understand.

This award winner uses an interesting technique the grabs the readers' attention. Even though there is not a lot of color the bold text and the use of drawings will keep the readers engaged.

“The cat showed the new cat what to do, when to eat, when to drink...“ I thought this was a cute quote that shows how the big cat takes the new little cat under his wing.