The Newbery Mission: Millions of Cats

Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag 

A 1929 Newbery Honor Book

   Plot: A lonely old couple decide that they want a cat, so the husband goes out to find 'the prettiest one of them all.' Soon, the old man comes across a valley filled with literally millions of cats. Unable to decide, the old man brings every single one of them home. Naturally, the wife reminds him that they can't possibly keep all those cats, so they decide that they'll keep the prettiest cat of the bunch. Of course, each of the cats find themselves the prettiest (shocking, isn't it?) So how do the cats handle this? By getting into the world's biggest cat-fight and eating each other.

   You know, for kids!

  Anyway, the couple find one scrawny kitten spared from the slaughter because it didn't consider itself pretty. But the couple keep it and it grows into a beautiful cat thanks to the love and care of the happy old couple.

  Review: Honestly, there's not much to say about this book. It's pretty much your average children's book. The story is simple and moves along nicely and the black-and-white illustrations are both simple and dream-like. Though the moral of judging a book by its cover is old news, it's still a good lesson for children to learn. I would definitely recommend this book to kids ages 4 to 7.

   Now I know some of you are thinking: How can I recommend a book that has cats eating each other? Fortunately, Ms. Gag only gives a brief mention instead of a two-page depiction of the cat carnage, so your children's mind will be free from cat cannibalism.

Final Score: 3 out of 5

That's it for the first review ever *dances with restraint* Stay tuned for next time when I tackle a book from one of the best known series out there................