Millions of Cats

Wanda Gág's Newbery Honor-winning classic, "Millions of Cats," tells the enchanting story of an old man and his wife who desire a single cat. The man's quest leads him to a hillside teeming with countless cats, and unable to choose just one, he brings them all home. The sheer number of cats, and their collective vanity in declaring themselves the "prettiest," leads to a dramatic, yet ultimately gentle, resolution. This book is perfect for children aged 4 to 8, offering a profound message about humility, self-worth, and the true meaning of beauty. Its lyrical, repetitive text makes it a joy to read aloud, while its simple, striking black-and-white illustrations are iconic. Parents will appreciate its subtle handling of conflict and its heartwarming conclusion.

Millions of Cats is a wonderful tale of vanity versus humility, written and illustrated by the singular Wanda Gag. An old man and his wife decide to get a cat, so the old man goes out in search of the prettiest cat of all. When he is forced to choose from "hundreds, thousands, millions and billions and trillions" of cats, he (naturally) brings them all home. When the wife points out their inability to support the legion of felines, it is left to the cats to decide who among them is the prettiest. Anyone who has ever owned more than a single cat can tell you what happens next. Gag's simple, appealing black ink drawings are perfect for the story, somehow capturing at least the idea of millions of cats in a single page. Repeated lines and the sing-song title refrain make this a read-aloud natural.(Ages 4 to 8) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. "This Newbery Honor winner is distinguished by innovative design and a strong storyteller's cadence." (School Library Journal's "One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century")