A cute picture book about Tae kwon do told from the perspective of a cat. The illustrations in this book are terrific, but I feel like the actual writing of the book is lacking. This book would appeal to martial arts fans (and maybe cat fans too?) Not a lot of substance to be a read a loud, but surely will capture readers who are interested in martial arts.

The publisher generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

What a delightful Book for Children, it's story & illustration's make it clear for Children & adults alike to read & share it's wisdom. The Story of Kitten JeJa wanted to learn Taekwondo because she wants to break a Board. The story shows that through this Korean based sport with it's codes of Practice & Safety goals in life as well as the sport can be achieved through following the Rules, taking things Step by Step & with great Patience we can reach that final Goal & be rewarded too. A Book once it is published I would most definitely purchase to send to my youngest grandchildren in Japan, & for the Children of friends for whom I often buy Books too.

This is the perfect book for a child interested in taking Taekwondo or Karate classes. And yet any child will find it cute and fun to read. I read it to the 4 and 7 year olds that I nanny and they both thoroughly enjoyed it. The loved the adorable illustrations and were very interested in how Kitten Jeja progresses in her Taekwondo lessons. The 7 year old requested that we make a poster for her room similar to the one in Kitten Jeja's that lists the 5 tenets of Taekwondo (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit). This is a fun book and leaves children with a wonderful reminder to keep practicing and never give up. I am grateful to Netgalley and Capstone publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really cute book. I’ve already got images in my head of collaboration with the local taekwondo schools in the neighborhood. I like the themes of discipline, patience, and perseverance. This would be fun to read. Only suggestion is that maybe the glossary could have gone in the front to help with pronunciation while reading aloud..

Catkwondo is a charming story of perseverance, patience, bravery and passion.

This book is a story of a Tae Kwon Do student Kitten Jeja who really wants to break a board. The story takes you to her challenges and how she handles the pressure in order to get to her goal. Her passion became a bridge for friendship with the other kittens who have different belt colors. She was offered help and that's what she use to her daily practice. Her persistence is commendable and truly remarkable.

The artworks in this book are detailed and well made. The colour grading, and the colour palette is truly pleasing. They are neutral and dark which makes it comfortable to the eye.

The adorable thing I like in the artwork is how the illustrator draw the cats and Kitten Jeja's room is definitely so aesthetic and pleasing. I love it.

Conclusion:
Recommended! A cute story and artwork with delightful lessons.

Catkwondo is a children’s book written by Lisl H. Detlefsen intended for ages four to eight.
Summary: Kitten really wants to break a board. But it will take determination, and lots of practice to make her dream come true.
My Thoughts: This short story would be perfect for any child interested in martial arts, and contains a wonderful message about the power of dedication and hard work to accomplish one’s dreams.
It has adorable pictures, and I thought the message of encouragement throughout the book was very well done.
If the reader is unfamiliar with Tae Kwon Do, I highly recommend viewing the glossary of terms at the back of the book before reading, as several martial arts terms and Korean words are used throughout.
Overall, it is a sweet story about determination and working hard to achieve your dreams.
I would like to thank Capstone for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

(As written by my 7yo):
1: What was the book title
Catkwondo

2: What was the book about?
It was about a kitten called Kitten Jeja who is starting taekwondo [karate].

3: Did you like the story? Why/Why not
100 percent. Its hard to say why, I just liked it

4: What was the best bit about the story?
All of it

5: What was the worst bit about the story?
Nothing

6: Would you recommend the book? Why/why not?
For kids and parents starting karate.

7: How many stars would you give this book out of 5?
9999
=====
Kitten Jeja arrives at her first taekwondo class eager to break boards, but first she must learn the forms and develop patience and discipline. Along her journey she perseveres and learns to accept the support of more senior ranks in both training and grading.

Catkwondo introduces young children to the discipline of martial arts (specifically taekwondo, but can equally be applied to other forms, such as karate) and demonstrates the protagonist's personal growth in resilience, perseverance, patience and discipline.

Beautifully illustrated, with page layout to suit younger readers (4-8), this is a lovely little book for kids beginning their martial arts journey. While the contents of this book could easily be applied to more than taekwondo, I would love to see this expanded to a series including other martial arts.

** We received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher, Capstone, in exchange for an honest review.

The artwork in this book is lovely and very cutesy.

A cute tale of an impatient kitten who must learn to slow down to achieve her goals. Really nice message synthesised through the story, but I suppose it could have been a little more drawn out.

This is a wonderful children’s book about hard work, practice and perseverance. The illustrations are fantastic

I will observe the principles of taekwondo.
I will respect the instructor and all senior ranks.
I will never misuse taekwondo.
I will be a champion of freedom and justice.
I will build a more peaceful world.

A little impatient Kitten wants to break a board but she wants to do it instantly... like NOW! She is about to learn some very valuable life lessons. Some things require patience, hard work and determination before you can obtain your goal. She practice lots and is dedicated to achieving her objective. Will Kitten commit to persevere and never, ever give up?

The book includes quite a few Korean terms and luckily they are translated in a glossary at the end of the book. The illustrations are action-packed and the animal characters are adorable and relatable.
The inspiring message? Hard work does pay off if you have your heart set on attaining your goal. Yes you can! I highly recommend this book.

I am torn on this book. There are a LOT of tough words in there, however a glossary is included. The story is great about determination and patience. But I feel like some of those harder words (even with the glossary) are going to make it a turn off for some kids and parents.

#Catknwondo
A thoughtful and mindful book about listening, determination, and having patience to practice until you are ready for the challenge. A wonderful early reader for a child, who might struggle with reading. The characters are drawn in a pleasing way that are relatable and cute.

I love the illustrations in this book, they are so colourful and cute. I love the lesson this book is teaching children; with hard work, practice, patience, and time, you can master anything.

I also enjoyed learning the Korean words associated with Tae Kwon Do and their meanings.

#Catkwondo #NetGalley

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute book about Tae Kwon Do. The illustrations were adorable. The story dragged a little. It gave a good message about trying your best and to keep practicing.

Catkwondo by author Lisl H Detlefsen is an adorable and cute book for children! We loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was adorable! I really enjoyed reading the positive message that Taekwondo showcases in the story. As I was reading, I wanted to learn what certain words meant, so having the vocabulary in the back was very helpful. I will definitely read this book to my daughter when she is older!!

Catkwondo was a cute book. It teaches not to give up, practice makes you better. Also the support of others can help motivate you to pull through. I read with my son who did enjoy however he says he's a dog person. Ha He also enjoyed that it taught about an aspect of Korean culture. Overall he enjoyed it.

Through practice, hard work and determination, you can achieve!
I have a five year old who is in karate and loves cats so she really related to this story. She told her sensei that she will be a master one day, she'll be testing for her orange belt in April so she was exactly like this little kitten wanting to break boards on her first day. Overall we both enjoyed the story and like that it shows progression. Even sparring which my 5 yr old was excited to see since she just started doing that. Also the use of showing other belt ranks helping out was nice to see.
I didnt feel that the story was disjointed or broken up in any way. I appreciated the use of real taekwondo words and movements and do not feel that you need to be in the martial arts to get something from this story. Cute story and nice art work.

Catkwondo is a cute tale about a kitten who is learning taekwondo. She wants to do all the fun things, like break a board, but must first learn self-discipline and patience. There is a vocabulary and pronunciation guide at the back of the book for terms that may be unfamiliar to most readers. While there is much to be desired with this story (it focused too much on the end result rather than the process of getting there), young readers will enjoy the pictures and understand that sometimes you have to work for things you want.

Thank you NetGalley and Capstone Editions for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

The illustrations are cute, but I feel like the story is missing something. The themes are great and definitely needed; I would recommend this book to a student who already has background knowledge in Taekwondo.