The artwork was great, except for the actual kitten. It looked like a full grown cat in some places and it looked like a dog in other places (the cover). I enjoyed the story.

A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review and my opinion.

This book has colourful, scratchy illustrations and unique layouts throughout. The choice of colour v. black and white is very interesting. I hope this would be a strong contender for the Caldecott prize. The story is captivating from the offset and continues to hold the audience captivated throughout. I know this story will resonate with young children, who are naturally animal-lovers and protectors. I think this story is a wonderful length as well, which is worth noting. I would absolutely love to read this to my third grade class and I would recommend it to my coworkers who teach Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 because I know this story will work for these ages.

Teacher approved.

There is a small kitten on a very busy bridge during the morning rush. No one wants to see the kitten get hurt, but no one is brave enough to try to help her. Until one kind person decides to help. Although it causes everyone to be late, it is okay because they were able to save the kitten. This book spreads a message about how wonderful it is to decide to do the right thing even when no one else is willing to. Although it is a hard decision to make because it takes a lot of courage, it is still rewarding. A positive book, that has some scary moments as the kitten is dodging traffic.

A sweet picture book about a rainy day in traffic. The images are beautifully detailed, perfect for younger and older readers!

What a tender, sweet book. I think this story teaches kids an important lesson and provides adults a great reminder. Teaching children empathy and situational awareness is so extremely important, and this book would be a great introduction for a younger kid. The super simple story helps serve that purpose. Very short, sweet, and impactful.

Late Today it's a gentle reminder: be kind.
It doesn't matter what's going on around you as long as you don't lose sight of the basics of being human.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

Late today - 3,5/5

With a very distinct drawing style, Late Today tells the story of a lost tiny kitten, struggling on the road, under the rain, who gets first ignored by multiple people (with the bystander effect of no one acting to help) until, finally, one family stops to the rescue. It's touching and a bit sad. It encourages the reader to do the right thing if they encounter a similar situation, where someone needs help, but not one goes to give the help. You might be the one to act and give a helping hand in the end.

I really loved the art style in some pages, like the skies illustrations where we can really see the texture of the material used to draw.


#LateToday #NetGalley

This picture book is about rescuing a cat. A tiny kitten who gets stuck on a bridge while all the traffic is heading towards work and not paying attention. One child and parent pull over to find and rescue the kitten. The story is lovely. It is a Korean story that has been translated into English. The art style is not typical for American readers, but I think it will grow on them if they give it a chance.

A beautifully illustrated children’s book about a kitten who is trapped on a motorway in Seoul. What can it do? As it tries to escape dashing through the cars and risking its life, drivers and passengers alike are stricken. But what can they do? No one wants to be late.

A lovely story for children that reminds us that sometimes the right thing to do can be the inconvenient thing to do.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Late Today by Jungyoon Huh is a simple but deeply emotional tale of a small kitten lost in rush hour traffic. Illustrator Myungae Lee creates pictures that draw the reader into the scene, heavy with atmosphere and color. Will the kitten be rescued? Everyone is in a hurry? Who will stop and put themselves at risk for a small kitten? What will happen to the kitten if no one helps? This suspenseful picture book reminds us of the importance of kindness. It's a great choice for animal lovers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐈 The vibes:
- children’s book
- Beautiful illustrations
- Themes of slowing down in a busy life
- Cutie cat

🐈 My thoughts:
A kitten is lost in the busy, chaotic city of Seoul. The little kitty is need of help but everyone seems to be too busy to stop.

🐈 This was such an adorable, short book for kiddos. I love the themes in here to slow down and also to do what’s right by helping others, no matter how small.

🐈 The ending felt abrupt and I wanted to see a conclusion for the little kitty, but overall I think this was a beautiful book and as a bonus, the illustrations were very eye catching.

🐈 Release date: September 23, 2025.

Thank you so much to Jungyoon Huh, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, and
NetGalley for the gifted copy.

*note- posted on Instagram, goodreads, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

The story itself is gripping, what's going to happen to the kitten. It makes one ask what would they really do. Everyone says they would stop and help, but truthfully most would turn away.

I think this book is a great conversation starter about empathy and being a good helper to all creatures

Charming book following a kitten who is stuck on the road during a busy traffic morning. It worries about whether the kitten will be ok and if someone steps in. Great illustrations, ending felt a little rushed, could have been a few pages longer. I think will be enjoyed but not a new favorite.

I visited Seoul nearly 30 years ago, and was struck by the ant like busyness of the people on the streets. I noticed it because I was desperate for some help, and while most of the people I looked at nodded politely at me, no one stopped.

This story takes a moment to highlight the importance of kindness in a world that is becoming increasingly full of people who feel time poor and are often criminally self absorbed.

On a rainy day in the South Korean capital, few are inclined to stop and help a kitten that has wondered into the traffic. But luckily, there are always those who can somehow make time despite being subject to the 24 hour cycle that everyone else is also manoeuvring within.

Compassionate and charming, with atmospheric illustrations, this is worth checking out.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company for providing me with an early copy.

I will be honest with my review. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the premise of the story is not bad. It is very relevant to today's communities that we are always in a rush to get to our destination, that we turn a blind eye to those in need, in this case, a cat.

The story feels like a first draft and not fully fleshed out. I think a few more words could have added more to it, and I could have connected with what was happening. Additionally, the font of the text was somewhat unusual. This could have been just me.

Overall, the moral of the story was good, but it was just missing something extra.

Precious! I was nervous for the kitty for much of the picture book. However, I'm so happy the kitty was okay. It also made me think about how in a rush I always am. It really is okay to be late; there might be something good waiting for you to stop.

I did not enjoy this book. I understand the message that is trying to be conveyed but there was not nearly enough story to get the point across effectively to children. The beginning of the story was also inaccurate, a cat that is 2 weeks old would not be able to run across traffic and jump over objects.

I really liked the general idea of this book, but I think that it was almost *too* simplistic, and lacked depth. What I mean by this is book felt like it was only an outline and not a fully-formed story. It was very difficult to feel invested in this story because there was zero character development. Readers barely see the kind character that saves the kitten, and no names are given. The best and most consistent part was the cat, honestly. Adding onto that, I think that it would help the message come through much better if some sort of connection (it doesn't have to be big) was made between the reader and the book's character(s), other than the cat. However, that was really the only thing that didn't work for me in this story. As I mentioned earlier I liked the idea - it was heartwarming and different in a way. Lastly, the illustrations were absolutely stunning. The rain was present for most of the book, and was illustrated in such a way that it came to life. The way the kitten was drawn was also very adorable, so I give lots of kudos to the illustrator.

“Late today” by jungyoon huh and myungae Lee was such a little blessing to read early this morning. Short and sweet, the art and message had my heart both heavy and light by the end of it.

I love it! The story is simple and is about a kitten but can so easily be applied to so many different areas of life.

Essentially, the kitten is in need and loads of people see this but for a variety of reasons, decide not to get involved. They aren't nasty or rude, they just don't go out of their way to be kind either. Sometimes it only takes one person to go the other way and not leave it to someone else and, like in this story, you can make a real difference.

The illustrations are beautiful. I would have them framed in the wall. I can't wait to buy a real copy when it comes out!