Ethan and the Strays

Ethan, a young boy with dark skin and curly hair, walks to school with his older brother, Sam, as three curious kittens scamper from a shadowy alley. Ethan wonders aloud if they could bring one home and Sam reminds him that their father said no pets, encouraging him not to get attached. Empathetic Ethan cannot ignore his concern for the vulnerable kittens, so the brothers visit the litter each day offering lunchbox scraps. Passing the local animal clinic, the brothers read a sign: “Trap-Neuter-Return.” Ethan is empowered to do more than offer the kittens food after learning that neutering…

Every day on their way to and from school, Ethan and his older brother, Sam, pass three stray cats. Ethan would desperately love to keep one, but Dad says no pets. As the weather grows colder, Ethan worries about how they will stay warm and fed. He brings them his leftovers, and Sam buys outdoor cat shelters from a veterinary clinic, where the boys take the cats to be spayed and neutered before re-releasing them. Will Dad change his mind on the no-pets policy?The mixed-media artwork is colorful, the protagonist is adorably cherubic, and it is a positive representation of two brothers of color…

With touching sensitivity, Sullivan (Stanley’s Secret) creates a story about a child responsibly caring for stray felines. Each day on his walk to school with big brother Sam, Ethan encounters three kittens living in an alley. Yearning for a pet in a “no pets” household, Ethan names the kittens and discerns three distinct personalities: black and white Fluffy is curious, gray Misty is shy, and tiny tabby Dusty is bold. Ethan feeds them from his lunch box and worries about how they’ll stay warm in blustery, snowy weather, and with Sam’s assistance—the depth of their connection is one of the…