Module 2: Millions of Cats

Gág, W. (1928). Millions of Cats. New York: Coward-McCann.

Summary
In this very memorable book, an old man goes to find a cat and ends up being followed home by millions of cats. His wife is confused about which cat they should pick but the cats decide for themselves by fighting to the death over who is the prettiest and leaving only one cat left that refused to participate in the fight. After receiving love and care, this cat turns out to be not only the most humble cat, but the most beautiful one.

My Impressions
Some complain that this story is disturbing and the illustrations are simplistic and uninteresting because they are black and white. Because this is an older book, there is definitely an old-style feel to the illustrations and writing. But the rhyming and lyrical cadence of this book makes it eminently readable and most likely very enjoyable for younger children who can begin to repeat the refrain after the second or third repetition.

Professional Reviews
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. --Amazon.com review (Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Millions-Cats-Picture-Puffin-Books/dp/0142407089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291788399&sr=8-1)

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." (Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Millions-Cats-Picture-Puffin-Books/dp/0142407089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291788399&sr=8-1)

Suggested Use in Library
This picture book can be read out loud with children participating in reading the refrain: "Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats...." Children should enjoy the participation and the simple storyline of a lonely, old couple being surrounded by so many cats.

This book can also be used to illuminate the changes in writing style and illustration to fans of picture books. Since this is considered America's first picture book, children and adults interested in the history of picture books can look at this book as a historical example of the inception of picture books.

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SLIS 5420/Module 2, Book 1
Classic Children's & YA Literature
August 30-September 5, 2010