Module 2: Millions of Cats

Image via Goodreads.com

Book Summary: A very old woman and a very old man lived in a nice clean house, but they were lonely. The little old woman decided that they would be happy if they just had a cat. The little old man went to find them the best cat. What he found was a hill full of millions and billions and trillions of cats, each one different and special in its own way. He looks around and finds the perfect cat, only to turn around and find another one that was just as perfect. Soon he was leading all of the cats from the hill home to his wife. Once they arrive home, the cats start to eat. They eat and eat and eat until there is nothing left. The old man and the old woman decide that they can only keep one cat, but which one should they choose? They ask the cats which one of them is the prettiest, and soon every cat is arguing that they are the prettiest. They begin to fight and snarl and bite. Then they are eating each other up until there are no cats left to see. The little old man and the little old woman discover one last scrawny little kitten. They give the cat a bath and brush it and feed it. It grows and grows and grows, and soon it is the prettiest cat of all. They all live happily in the cute little house.

APA Reference of Book:

Gág, W. (1928). Millions of cats. New York, NY: Coward-McCann, Inc..

Impressions: This is a really cute story. The little old man and the little old woman are great characters, even though there is minimal characterization or description. Their desire to have a cat to complete their home is easy to relate to. The story has a great happy ending where the man and woman end up with the perfect cat and everyone is happy together in their cute clean house.

The illustrations are pen and ink drawings, and are left completely in black and white. The lack of color is a perfect fit for the story. I think if there had been color in the illustrations, the pictures would have been too busy for young readers to enjoy. It also would have detracted from the story as readers may spend all of their time trying to choose between all of the cats rather than finishing the story. The lack of color also leaves it to the reader’s imagination as to what the prettiest cat looks like in the end, which is a great discussion point.

Professional Review:
School Library Journal:  Considered by many to have ushered in the age of the modern picture book, this Newbery Honor winner is characterized by innovative design and a strong storyteller’s cadence.

Breen, K., Fader, E., Odean, K., & Sutherland, S. (2000). One hundred books that shaped the century [Review of the book Millions of cats, by W. Gág]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2000/01/collection-development/one-hundred-books-that-shaped-the-century/#_

Library Uses: This would be a great read for a cat-themed story time, and leads to a complimentary craft activity of coloring or designing the prettiest cat.  This could also be used as a lead-in to a community-wide “Prettiest Cat” contest. This could work as a photography contest or a sculpture contest, or a contest of some other form of artistic expression.