Module 2 | Millions of Cats

PLOT SUMMARY

A very old man and a very old woman are very, very lonely ... that is, until the old man ventures off to find the old woman a cat. But he doesn't just find one kitty companion; he finds millions and billions and trillions of cats! The enormous feline following trails him to his house, but it's the most humble of the adorable kittens who ultimately gets to call the house home.

MY IMPRESSIONS

The tale is charming in its simplicity, both in its words and illustrations. Michael O. Tunnell calls the book's rhythmic text "unforgettable," and it's easy to see why; the chanting of "hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats" is infectious fun for children and adults. Although it might not be as flashy as its modern counterparts, the book's whimsical world easily elevates this first American picture storybook to true classic status.

REVIEWS

"This Newbery Honor winner is distinguished by innovative design and a strong storyteller's cadence."
School Library Journal staff, One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century, Jan. 1, 2000

"The buried lessons in highly entertaining classics like Where the Wild Things Are and Millions of Cats ... are more engaging than those in books that explicitly exhort children to like themselves, eschew prejudice, value love over material objects and other such morals, important though they are."
Emily Jenkins, The New York Times Book Review, Nov. 11, 2007

USES IN THE LIBRARY

The book would be a great tie-in for a library pet photo contest, in which kids could bring in photos of their cats for display. It would also be a good addition to an online or in-library reading list of great American picture books.

CITATION:
Gag, Wanda (1928). Millions of cats. New York: Coward-McCann