Lively Retelling of a Biblical Standard
Review by Victor R. Volkman
The Hungry Kitten’s Tale by Elizabeth Fust
The Hungry Kitten’s Tale (Rivershore Books), written by Elizabeth Fust and illustrated by Mary MacArthur, is an imaginative fresh take on the old biblical story of the “loaves and the fishes” from the Gospel of Matthew. In case you have forgotten, this tale unfolds as Jesus and the twelve disciples are traveling through the town of Bethsaida in the Golan Heights of what we now know as Israel. They have a crowd of 5,000 with them and very little provisions; in fact, as little as five loaves and two fishes! (Matthew 14:13-21, NIV). Given the sparse storyline to begin with, Elizabeth Fust deftly weaves in a parallel thread about a stray kitten who has his eye on those two fishes. Mary MacArthur has provided us with rich watercolor illustrations that bring the characters of the unnamed stray kitten and the Lord Jesus to life. Fear not – the stray kitten will be adopted by the end and the parable is only slightly enlarged in that 5,000 people are fed (plus one feline)! I recommend The Hungry Kitten’s Tale as a great story time adjunct for Sunday school groups as well as Christian schools and libraries. I’m sure we’re going to see more from Marquette’s own Elizabeth Fust in coming years.
