“An abandoned feline finds a forever home in this debut picture book from a philanthropist.

When a kitten wakes up in a dumpster, he’s unhappy and afraid. Then a man discovers the poor feline and lifts him out of the garbage. The animal is so delighted he does a wiggle dance. Soon, the man and kitten are off to see Aunt Lynny. “She’s not really my aunt,” the man explains, “but everyone calls her that because she’s so nice and finds good homes for lots of animals.” Lynny is immediately taken with the feline, whom she names Coogie, and sets about finding a home for him. But as the two get to know each other, they both realize that Coogie’s best home is right there with Lynny. In this series opener, Gordon smoothly navigates several moving pieces of the story—Coogie’s discovery; his trip to Lynny’s; a visit to a veterinarian; and the realization that he wants to stay in his foster home—keeping the flow of the plot accessible through the use of simple vocabulary and sentence structure. Duenas’ painted illustrations show Coogie’s two White friends; Lynny has a remarkable resemblance to the author. The images of the exuberant kitten with his huge blue eyes are sure to draw feline fans. Softhearted kids will worry that someone left Coogie in the dumpster and may appreciate that profits from the book go toward helping animals.

This sweet tale about a rescue kitten with a big personality will delight lap readers.” — Kirkus Reviews

"... a great sweet read to teach love and compassion for animals."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"... a great read aloud for preschool and elementary age children."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"This was such a cute book! I would have loved this one as a kid."

– Netgalley Reviewer

"This would be a great book for library story times."

– Netgalley Reviewer (Librarian)

"... short and sweet illustrated story ... Will recommend it to young readers for sure!"

– Netgalley Reviewer