ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2011)

With the tender realism of Yoko Writes Her Name (2008) and other books about the Japanese kitten, Wells blends the immigrant-child story with the universal thrill of learning to read. Yoko and Mama love reading their three books from Japan together, and Yoko knows them by heart. But how will she find more stories? Mama cannot read English, so with the help of Yoko's teacher and the school librarian, Yoko starts following stories by looking at the pictures in great books like The Red Fox. She points at English letters and sounds them out ("Snug as a bug in a rug"). She recognizes words in signs around her ("Bus stop," "Library"), and then she is teaching Mama. The bright, beautifully detailed illustrations in oil pastels and collage show Yoko's cozy home, the loving family bonds, and the rising excitement as a young child opens up new worlds. Brand-new readers will recognize the powerful discovery. The blissful cover picture of Yoko curled up in an armchair with a book says it all. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Almost 15 years after she first appeared on the scene, kindergarten kitten Yoko remains one of the most familiar furry faces in picture books.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

In this fifth story featuring Yoko the cat, she and her mother love to read the three Japanese children's books they have at home, but Yoko needs to start reading in English. Soon enough she is--and teaching her mother, too. Yoko's excitement about recognizing new words is accurately portrayed. Wells's oil pastel and collage art is as eye-catching as ever.

Kirkus Reviews

Wells' winsome kitten experiences a milestone sure to bring smiles to the faces of teachers and librarians everywhere. Learning to read is a momentous development in a child's life, but it can be difficult to depict in an interesting way. Luckily, previous familiarity with Yoko's can-do spirit should ensure that readers will be rooting for this clever kitten. Like her classmates, Yoko yearns to see her name on the "book tree" at school. She gets credit for the three stories that she and her mother share at home but despairs of adding any more. Her mother only reads Japanese, and, oddly, they own just the three books. A trip to the library solves at least one of these problems, and Yoko's determination carries her along as she sounds out words and uses pictures to predict plot. Cross-cultural details add interest: sushi for dinner, cozy on-the-floor seating at the tea table and the fact that books in Japanese read back to front. The final picture shows Yoko beginning to teach her mother the English alphabet. As always, Wells' illustrations enchant. Oil pastels and collage showcase rich colors and beautiful designs, evocative of traditional origami papers, while emotions shine through the characters' expressive eyes and energetic body language. A perky paean to the joys of literacy, with a bit of library love thrown in for good measure. (Picture book. 4-7)

School Library Journal (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

K-Gr 1 Yoko's class is learning to read, and Mrs. Jenkins gives her students a beautiful leaf for each book they finish. Yoko has only three books at home (all in Japanese) and is feeling glum because her classmates boast about how many more leaves they have put on the class book tree. After Yoko discovers the library and increases the books available to her, she earns as many leaves as her classmates. As she reads at home, her mother begins to learn to read in English, too. The story is very simple; the audience may be somewhat limited to emerging readers who are eager to share the wonder of the reading experience. The beautiful papers and patterns in the illustrations, including those on the kimonos Yoko and her mother wear, and the sweet cast of cat characters are sure to appeal. Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren &; Waldoboro, ME