Kit and the Copycat: Hey, That Was My Idea!
Description
Kit made something special. Kit shared it. Kit stamped it. Then one day, Kit sees a copy. The copy is not bad. The copy is actually good. But the copy is not Kit's. Kit feels something new. Sparks names the feeling. Then together, they figure out what to do.
This is the moment children learn that being copied is part of being a maker. Adult inventors call this "infringement." Children call it "Hey! That was mine!" The feelings are identical. So is the solution: name what happened, say how it feels, and decide what to do next. Sometimes the answer is "I'm glad you liked my idea." Sometimes the answer is "Please ask first." Both are valid.
Book 13 gives your child the language for one of the trickiest social situations they will face. Kit does not lash out. Kit does not give up. He names the feeling, talks to the copycat, and finds a middle. The illustration of Kit and the copycat at the end, holding their two creations side by side, is one of the most quietly powerful spreads in the series.
Illustrated in watercolor with the two creations shown on facing pages. Sturdy board pages. Free narrated read-aloud. Free educator guide with a "I made it first" script for the moment your child needs it.
For parents whose child is just learning to recognize copying. For preschool teachers running a classroom where ideas spread. For families teaching honest credit and gracious imitation.
Written by Chris Kuczynski, an engineer for the first twelve years of his career, then a registered patent attorney, and a co-founder of a preschool. He wrote the Kit's Little Sparks series to give two to four year olds the language of invention long before kindergarten.
Book 13 is part of Kit's Little Sparks, a 20 book board book series that walks young children through five developmental phases of an inventor: wondering, making, sharing, growing together, and becoming. Book 14 is where Kit learns to use copying for good, by helping a friend build something.
