Funny, lively story of a friendly cat learning the value of kindness. Santomero's playful and encouraging picture book for young children follows Penelope, a friendly cat who learns the true value of kindness. Each day Penelope finds little ways to help her friends . Each time, Penelope is there with a boost of encouragement to help her pals meet their goals. The exception is Dragon, who insists on roaring and breathing fire . When Penelope receives a "magical purse of preposterous things" from Mother Nature that will give her whatever she needs to help others, she wonders whether she might discover something special for Dragon inside. Eventually, Penelope finds a way for Dragon to put his unique abilities to good use. The story shows young readers that sometimes the people who initially seem angry or withdrawn are the ones who can benefit most from a kind gesture.

The lively illustrations by David Stark, Stephanie Six, and James Hutchinson center on Penelope, a perky purple cat wearing a lacy pink tutu. The multimodal images layer a variety of colors and textures, with Dragon's belly sparkling with green sequins and Penelope's purse covered with three-dimensional purple flowers. The story ends with Penelope's special purse giving a little wiggle, indicating that more adventures are to come.-- Booklife Review.