This is a very cutely illustrated picture book. The story itself was just ok for me. Students interested in martial arts may find this a fun one to read. I recommend this for early elementary students interested in martial arts.

A cute basic introduction to Tae Kwon Do with nice illustrations. I liked the use of many terms used in Tae Kwon Do, as well as the definitions for these terms. An inspirational story that lets kids know to keep on trying to achieve your goals.

In my kids words this books is awesome. The artwork is crisp and adorable. Perfect for an introduction into taekwando.

Kitten is a new student of Taekwondo, and she wants to break a board. Like today. Like right now. But she’ll have to have patience, study, and practice a LOT to build up to that point. Her master and fellow students instruct and help her work toward her goal, and she learns some valuable lessons along the way.

This book was so cute! I know I say that about 100% of the kids’ books I read, but hey, it’s the truth. There’s a good message about sticking with things and working hard to reach one’s goals. There’s also some good information to serve as an introduction to Tawkwondo for kids, and a glossary of terms in the back.

It’s not out until September, but keep it on your radar, because it’s definitely worth checking out.

Fun picture book about a kitten eager to learn Tae Kwon Do and break a board. Good lesson about practice and patience without being preachy. Glossary of terms and pronunciation are very helpful.

Catkwando is the story of Kitten, who joins Tae Kwon Do hoping to learn to break a board immediately. What Kitten finds out though, is that to break a board, she much practice and practice and be patient. She learns about Tae Kwon Do and discovers it is more than just breaking boards. When it is time to break a board, can Kitten apply all that she has learned?

Koren words are sprinkled throughout the text, which is a little jarring, but luckily, between context and the glossary in the back, readers and figure out what the words mean. As someone who knows nothing about martial arts, this title is a sweet introduction. Young fans of martial arts, or children impatient to break their own board will benefit and enjoy this work. The cats and artwork are adorable. It is great that Kitten is shown failing but growing throughout the story. I am concerned that readers won't get the sense of time that passes in this work though.

The story is adorable and it will find fans between cat lovers and marital arts lovers. As far as purchasing for a library? I'd recommend this for larger collections as it is cute, has a readership, but is light in story.

I found this book to be nice, but ultimately forgettable. It will do well enough on our shelves, but there was nothing special to make it stand out from the crowd.

I read this with my almost 8 year old and he loved it. A really sweet way to look at patience, determination and humility.

Fantastic bright illustrations and a well paced story had him hooked. The fact he does karate and understood her frustration with having to “wait” made it an even better read for us.

Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

My cat obsessed girl loved this one.cute story with great illustrations. The perfect bedtime read. We loved this one!

If I love two things, it's cats and martial arts! This book combines the two in an extraordinary, super cute story!

We start off with the Taekwondo Oath, which is just respectful in all forms, and then we're off to the wonderous story! All of the kitties are learning the sport from their Master, and all of them are super cute and fluffy! Along the way, some of the kittens have trouble learning but slowly gain their confidence with the help of their Master and friends. With hard work comes perseverance, and that's what this book is all about!

The book uses correct terminology - dhee, jeja, sabeomnim - which really made my heart sing. I remember doing martial arts back in the day and that really brought back some memories. At the end, there is even a collection of words with their pronunciation and their definitions. I think this is one awesome educational way to introduce martial arts and taekwondo to kids!

I also totally adore the cartoon cats throughout the book. They are the perfect mix of adorableness and colourful!

I think this is one of the best, sweet, little books to introduce hard work and martial arts to kids. It's full of lovely pictures and has an enticing story. I'd definitely recommend young readers pick up this wildly fun book!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Capstone for an opportunity to pick up this book!

This charming picture book will appeal to preschool to early elementary school children. The illustrations of the cats with their large eyes and different coloring are appealing to the eye and the scenes with action complement the story. The plot about commitment and hard work is universal, but the setting makes it stand out. Kids will not only be introduced or reminded of the value of practice, but many will learn some Korean words (glossary at the back) and taekwondo principles.


Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Catkwondo is a darling book about a kitten who is learning marital arts. Just like her human counterparts (kids), she is impatient and wants things to move along at a much faster pace than they are going. Tae Kwon Do is not easy, and Kitten has a little trouble at first, but once she settles in and starts to focus, things Improve. This story is full of action but also teaches lessons in patience, encouragement and helping others. There are Korean phrases throughout the book and a glossary at the end of Tae Kwon Do terms. The illustrations are colorful and engaging. I smiled the entire time that I was reading this book. This is a great read for younger children to help them learn about trying and failing and what it takes to succeed. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Catkwondo by Lisl F. Detlefsen is a children’s book about a character, Kitten who is in Tae Kwon Doe and really wants to learn how to break a board as part of her practice.

The characters are cute, fun, and animated. The story shows what practice, teamwork, and determination will do.

The illustrations are great and the use of action sounds (swish, plop) are entertaining for kids. It is easy to see how Kitten is feeling through her expressions.

This is a good book for any child that shows encouragement from a teacher and teammates; as well as showing that anything can be achieved if you don’t give up.

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
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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.