What happens when a kitten, barely two weeks old, tries to cross a bridge in morning rush-hour traffic? South Korean author Jungyoon Huh and illustator Myungae Lee — with the skillful help of translator Aerin Park — set out to explore this contrast of a kitten's desperate vulnerability with the harsh danger of cars.
It's a danger amplified by the urgency and anxiety that people feel on their way to work. Having shown the kitten darting back and forth, terrified, not knowing where to go, the book explains that “No one wanted to see a tiny creature hurt, especially not so early in the morning, but no one had the courage to save her.”
Individual frames, like cartoon panels, show drivers' and passengers' reactions. A motorcyclist thinks, “Oh no! It's dangerous ..." and a woman at the wheel wonders, “What's a cat doing in a place like this?” On a bus, helpless to do much, passengers range from stymied (“Why is no one helping out?”) to shut down (“Too heartbreaking to see. I'll just look away.”) to oblivious (“Ugh. I'm late again today.”) Each reaction is so human that we've all either witnessed it in some form or felt it ourselves.
The suspense about what will happen to the kitten builds intensely. When the book shifts for the better — this being a story for four to eight year olds — characters and readers get to be relieved together. It turns out to be a good day.
We are left, though, with a metaphor to ponder in our personal lives: What about the busyness and crowd anonymity that we use as a shield against moral dilemmas involving the most elemental kindnesses? This makes for worthwhile conversations with children or classrooms in our care, as well.
