Gag, Wanda. Millions
of Cats. New York: Coward-McCann, 1928. ISBN 0142407089
Meet the very old man and
the very old woman who, despite their nice house, are quite lonely. At the woman’s suggestion, the very old man
sets out to find a cat for his wife, hoping a fluffy companion will help make
her happy. He walks through the country
for a very long time before finding a hill that is covered with millions of
cats. Determined to bring back the
prettiest one for his wife, the very old man has trouble choosing which one to
take home. In no time at all, he has
selected every cat and makes his way back to the very old woman with millions
of cats following behind. The woman is
shocked when her husband returns and insists they cannot keep all the cats, so
she decides to let the animals themselves decide which one is most worthy of
staying. A catfight between millions
ensues, until a lone surviving kitty is left.
This cat managed to outlast the others by being modest and quiet,
proving that humility is the prettiest trait of all.
Wanda Gag’s classic picture
book, MILLIONS OF CATS, stands out with its rhythmic flow and exquisitely
detailed illustrations. Any child who
has ever wanted to get a pet will anxiously follow along with the very old
man’s journey to find a cat for his wife.
Gag’s use of hyperbole astonishes readers into imagining how very many
cats he ends up finding, so many that they can drink up an entire pond and eat
a whole field of grass! The book’s echo
phrase of “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and
trillions of cats” stretches out like the long line of cats following the old
man home, while also encouraging participation during a read-aloud. MILLIONS OF CATS is more text-heavy than most
picture books, but its delightful story of an amazing feat of cats continues to
win over new generations of young readers.
Gag’s carefully drawn,
black and white illustrations perfectly depict the parade of cats that make
their way back to the very old woman’s house.
The lines and patterns in her pictures repeat to show the many bricks on
the house, trees on the hills, clouds in the sky and millions of cat eyes,
gazing up at the very old man. Each
picture stretches out across the page, much like the journey of the very old
man as he makes his way out to the cats and back home again.
MILLIONS OF CATS’s simple
theme reminds children that vanity is dangerous, so much so that an army of
cats could eat each other up over an argument about who is prettiest. While a bit dramatic in making her point,
Gag’s winning message is clearly evident in the little kitten that earns a home
with the very old man and the very old woman.
Humility outlasts vanity.
This Newberry Honor book
is one of the School Library Journal’s “One Hundred Books that Shaped the
Century.” The New York Times calls it “a perennial favorite,” and The School
Library Journal praises its “innovative design” and “strong storyteller’s
cadence.” MILLIONS OF CATS is a
must-have for every picture book collector’s shelf.
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If you enjoy classic
picture books, such as Wanda Gag’s MILLIONS OF CATS, you might also like:
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their
Monkey Business, By Esphyr Slobodkina,
ISBN 0064431436
The
Story of Ferdinand, By Munro Leaf, ISBN 0140502343
For more read-aloud books with an
engaging echo repetition, try:
Tiki
Tiki Tembo, by Arlene Mosel, ISBN 03122367481
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