Katy No-Pocket is a simple book about a kangaroo with no pocket who tries to find a way to carry her baby by observing all the other animals and how they solve this perennial problem. In the end, Katy meets a kind man who generously helps her to solve her problem.

I say, simple, but it’s sort of deceptively simple since the themes of kindness and ingenuity and persistence in solving problems are themes that could be discussed and taken to heart by everyone from preschoolers to grown-ups. Katy is a really a disabled kangaroo, with no pocket, but she finds a way to replace her missing pocket with something that works even better. In the same way, isn’t it possible for all of us to work around our limitations, in many instances with the help of a kind friend or two, and perhaps learn to do what we thought we couldn’t? I like this story for many reasons, but especially for its message of hope and kindness.

The illustrations for Katy No-Pocket are by H.A. Rey, of Curious George fame. The cover of the book is yellow, and the pictures look a lot like the pictures of George the monkey and The Man with the Yellow Hat. Emmy Payne, aka Emily Govan West, is a good storyteller, and I can remember, in my youth, enjoying all the many Lookout Club mystery novels for middle grade readers that she and her mother Christine Noble Govan wrote and published.

Katy No-Pocket is a stand alone picture book, but it could be a good addition to the collection of Curious George lovers. You might want to have an apron or another garment with multiple pockets available for play after reading this book so that young readers can enjoy putting things in their own pockets. A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman and The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransome would be a good followup reads for this one.