Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

Slipper Plays Catch is a children’s book written by Tess Rixen and illustrated by Peter Andrew Gayanilo. When Slipper’s friend, Buddy, comes over to play, the young kitten is very excited. The felines greet each other at the front door as Buddy wipes the mud from his paws onto the door mat outside. Buddy is so much bigger than Slipper, and decides to play catch since it is raining outside. Slipper worries that she will get into trouble for playing with a ball inside the house, but is assured by Buddy that everything will be fine. Whilst chasing the ball, Slipper runs into a chair, hurting her head. She tries to be careful, but eventually chases the ball until something very expensive breaks. When Slipper’s humans come to see what had broken, she fearfully admits her guilt in what had happened, after first looking at Buddy. Slipper is rewarded for telling the truth. Buddy is surprised, and decides not to play catch indoors from now on.

I am smiling so hard right now that my cheeks are aching! What a delightful book! Tess Rixen’s wonderful children’s tale about two felines which decide to play an outdoors game inside, even though it is against Slipper’s humans’ rules to do so, carries some extremely valuable lessons for children. Although it is raining outdoors, you cannot simply bring an outdoor game inside, lest something breaks. It is a much better idea to find an indoor alternative until the rain goes away. Although afraid of the consequences after the breakage, Slipper stepped up, prepared to accept the scary consequences of her actions, but is instead rewarded and praised for being brave in telling the truth. Honesty goes such a long way, whether in friendship, at work or in love, and Peter Andrew Gayanilo’s remarkably fun, colorful illustrations helped the story and the message shine from within the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed Slipper Plays Catch and recommend that it be stocked in kindergarten, day-care and home libraries for young readers, or even be read to toddlers at story time, as a child is never too young to learn how to step up and be honest when things go awry.