(ARC was provided to read and review.)

Lucy has mixed feelings. She has just moved in with her Gran with her Dad and her brother William.
After their Mother passed away, it was just their Dad alone looking after them, but now he and Gran have decided, that it's best for all to live together under one roof. She loves Gran's old big house and the lovely garden, which is also a fair size. And the good thing is, now she has her own room and doesn't need to share with William anymore, but she had to leave her friends behind and has now to go to a different school.

Her first day at the new school wasn't perfect, but went OK and when Gran picks the two of them up after they've finished their lessons, her Grandmother suggests a treat at the local bakery. As a complete surprise they discover, that a stray cat with her three little kittens lives in the backyard behind the shop. Lucy LOVES cats, but her Dad has told them, her Gran doesn't like to have pets in the house and Lucy is very sad, that she can't take any of them home. Particularly the smallest kitten, a very shy black-and-white one, pulls at her heartstrings.
Shortly after, two of the kittens are adopted by a nice family and just the small, shy one is left with the cat mother. But disaster is about to happen. When the backyard is cleared of rubbish at the moment where the cat mother is on the hunt for food, the little kitten, all by herself, gets so scared, she runs away.
And that's how, all of a sudden, Lucy meets her again. Her Gran's garden is adjacent to the bakery's backyard and on her desperate search for something to eat the little kitten has strayed into the garden.

Lucy and William are determined to look after the hungry and lost poor thing. They name her Catkin and at first try to hide the kitten in the old greenhouse at the back of the garden, but it's in disrepair and rain falls through the broken glass windows. The little den, which they put up for Catkin is soaked. Lucy decides it's time for plan b, and smuggles the kitten into the house and hides her in her wardrobe. Now Lucy is very happy as she's got finally her own cat, but she's also quite scared. Will her Gran find out? And if she does, will Lucy be allowed to keep Catkin?

The Secret Kitten is a heartwarming and enjoyable story, beautifully enhanced by Sophy Williams' illustrations. The black and white drawings are utterly adoreable, tie in perfectly with the story and children will just love looking at them. Holly Webb captures the movements and behaviour of the cats expertly and reading the book, children will learn how to approach a cat without scaring it or why cats purr or try and rub their head against the palm of our hand.

The story is suitable for all ages, advanced readers will enjoy reading the book themselves and young children will love to have the The Secret Kitten read to them.

Five happy purrs from me. Highly recommended. ( )