Millions of Cats

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Gag, Wanda. 1928. Millions of Cats. New York: Coward-McCann.

PLOT SUMMARY:

A lonely old couple decides to get a cat to ward off their loneliness. The old man sets out to find his wife a cat and discovers a hill filled with millions of cats. When he could not settle on which one was the prettiest, he took them all back home. The old woman knows they cannot feed and care for all of the cats so they decide to allow the cats to choose which one of them is the prettiest. The cats fought each other until there were no cats left except for one frightened little kitty. The kitten felt he was homely and that is the reason no other cat quarreled with him. The cat lived with the very old woman and man and turned into a beautiful cat.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Wanda Gag gives the classic story of the ugly duckling a new twist in her picture book, Millions of Cats. Her simple story about an old woman and man who want a cat for company turns into a tale about a kitten who feels he is homely but is really a beautiful cat once he is cared for and given love. Librarians can use Millions of Cats to draw parallels between this story and the tale of the Ugly duckling. Children can compare and contrast the two stories and also try to discover more stories with similar lessons. The book is appealing to young children since it contains lots of repetition throughout the entire book. The simple black and white illustrations have held a strong appeal to readers over time and contain a timeless look. This book can be enjoyed for many more years by readers of all ages.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS:

1929 Newbery Honor Book Award
1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award

"This Newbery Honor winner is distinguished by innovative design and a strong storyteller's cadence." (School Library Journal's "One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century")

"A perennial favorite." (The New York Times)