Millions of Cats facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Wanda Gág |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Wanda Gág |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Coward-McCann |
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Publication date
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1928 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 32 |
| ISBN | 0-698-20091-8 |
| OCLC | 178993 |
| Followed by | The Funny Thing |
Millions of Cats is a famous picture book created by Wanda Gág in 1928. It's special because it won a Newbery Honor award in 1929, which is rare for a picture book. This book is also the oldest American picture book that is still being printed today!
The Story of Millions of Cats
The story is written in a unique hand-lettered style by Wanda Gág's brother. It begins with an old man and woman who live alone and feel very lonely. The wife wishes for a cat to love and keep them company.
So, the kind husband decides to go on a journey to find the most beautiful cat for his wife. He travels far away from their home. Suddenly, he discovers a hillside completely covered in cats! The book uses a fun, rhythmic phrase to describe them: "Cats here, cats there, Cats and kittens everywhere. Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats..." This catchy phrase appears many times in the story.
The man wants to bring home the prettiest cat of all. But he can't decide which one is the most beautiful, because they all seem lovely. So, he starts walking back home with all the cats following him!
His wife is surprised when he arrives, realizing right away what her husband didn't think about. They won't be able to feed and care for billions and trillions of cats! The wife suggests letting the cats choose which one should stay with them. She asks, "Which one of you is the prettiest?"
This question causes a huge cat fight. The old man and woman get scared and run back into their house. Soon, everything outside becomes quiet. When they bravely go back out, there are no cats left. They had fought so much that only one cat remained.
Then, the old man spots a very skinny cat hiding in some tall grass. This cat survived because it didn't think it was pretty, so the other cats didn't attack it. The couple takes the cat into their home. They feed it and give it a bath. As days pass, the cat grows sleek and beautiful, becoming exactly the kind of cat they wanted.
Why Millions of Cats is Special
Wanda Gág was a pioneer in children's books. She was one of the first to use a "double-page spread" in this book. This means she used both pages of the open book together to tell the story. She created art that flowed across the entire two-page spread. Her favorite drawing in the book shows the old man carrying cats against the rolling hills, spread across the center pages.
This book is still very popular with kids, parents, and book critics. In a book called 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up, Kaylee Davis describes Millions of Cats as an "enchanting tale." She also says that Gág's "charming, folk-art style, simple black-and-white illustrations, lyrical language, and catchy refrain" make it a family favorite. Children love to repeat the famous phrase with each reading.
