The Kitten Next Door

I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes at first. *Another* kids’ book about wanting a pet? But *The Kitten Next Door* disarmed me within minutes. Sophia isn’t a whiny caricature; she’s a real kid with a strategist’s mind, plotting how to sneak the kitten food or convince her parents with *just* the right amount of guilt. The story’s tension hinges on small, exquisite details—the way the kitten’s collar jingles when it’s *not* Sophia’s turn to hold her, or how Sophia’s little sister, oblivious to the rules, nearly blows their cover. These moments make the stakes feel huge, even though the conflict is fundamentally domestic. Emily Wheaton’s narration is *almost* flawless. Her Sophia is pitch-perfect: eager but not cloying, with a hint of the dramatic flair real kids use to narrate their own lives. My only critique? The adult voices occasionally tip into caricature—Sophia’s mom sounds a beat too harried, like a sitcom parent—but it’s a minor quibble in an otherwise nuanced performance. The pacing is brisk but never rushed, with just enough breathing room to let the quieter scenes (like Sophia confiding in her stuffed animals) land. My eight-year-old tester listened in one sitting, then immediately asked to ‘hear the part where the kitten hides again.’ High praise. **Note for parents:** There’s zero scare factor, but the themes of responsibility and disappointment might spark some *interesting* post-listen conversations