Gitty and Kvetch
By (Author) Caroline Kusin Pritchard
Illustrated by Ariel Landy
Simon & Schuster
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
27th October 2021
United States
Children
Fiction
Hardback
48
Width 254mm, Height 254mm, Spine 10mm
494g
In this hilariously sweet story about an opposites-attract friendship, chock-full of Yiddish humor, a girl and her best bird friends perfect day turns into a perfect opportunity to see things differently.
Gitty and her feathered-friend Kvetch couldnt be more different: Gitty always sees the bright side of life, while her curmudgeonly friend Kvetch is always complaining and, well, kvetching about the trouble they get into.
One perfect day, Gitty ropes Kvetch into shlepping off on a new adventure to their perfect purple treehouse. Even when Kvetch sees signs of impending doom everywhere, Gitty finds silver linings and holds onto her super special surprise reason for completing their mission.
But when her perfect plan goes awry, oy vey, suddenly its Gitty whos down in the dumps. Can Kvetch come out of his funk to lift Gittys spirits back up
"Debuting author Pritchards sweet-natured storytelling makes a strong case for friendships resilienceand balancing capabilitieswhile Landys digital cartooning and washlike textures have plenty of bounce and bubble." -- Publisher's Weekly * June 2021 *
"Landys pictures are buoyant, with many bright colors against abackground of violet and rose hues....Young readers learn that personalities may not be as fixed as they seem. The most elated child, confronted by disappointment, often feels as powerless as Kvetch. On the other hand, the grumpy little owl turns out to be capable of change....Like Yiddish itself, Kvetch is flexible. Disappointment can be transformed into new alternatives. The fact that the book centers this gentle lesson in the context of an ordinary childhood event, not amoment of real trauma, is important. Kvetch the owl may not share Gittys intense sense of adventure, but he helps her to understand the importance of having afriend." -- Association of Jewish Libraries
Caroline Kusin Pritchard grew up as the youngest of four children in Dallas, Texas, and spent her childhood sneaking extra helpings of noodlekugel from her bubbes kitchen. She has worked across the education field, everything from teaching brilliant third graders to helping develop federal policy. Caroline lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three kiddos, and their 120-pounddog.
As soon as Ariel Landy learned how to draw a sky beyond a blue scribbled line, she knew she wanted to be an illustrator. Raised on coloring books and crayons outside of Boston, she now lives in France with her husband and dog. Visit her online at ArielLandy.com.