1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gag, Wanda. 1928. Milllions
of Cats. New
York, NY: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-698-11363-2
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this classic storybook, an elderly man and woman decide
that a cat would cure their loneliness. The
man sets out to obtain a cat. After a
walk over the hills and valleys, the man comes across a hill filled with an
enormous number of cats. As the man chose a beautiful cat for him and his wife,
he saw another cat that was equally beautiful.
He decided that he needed that beautiful cat as well. As he proceeded to leave the hill with his
cats, he found another beautiful cat, and another beautiful cat. The old man eventually gathered the millions of
cats and brought every one of them home to his wife. Upon arriving home, the wife immediately
determined that they could not feed them all and stated that they would keep
only the “prettiest” cat. At this
announcement, the cats started arguing and completely devoured each other. Only one cat was left and it was underfed and
ugly. They fed it, gave it love, and it
grew into a beautiful cat that was loved greatly by both the man and the woman.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Wanda Gág (rhymes
with blog) writes a classic story that is still enjoyed over 80 years after its
first publication. The illustrations are
basic black and white with an almost timeworn feel to them. The double page spread of illustrations,
first created by Gág, is utilized throughout the book. While the illustrations are beautifully rendered,
present day children may not appreciate the simplicity of the drawings and
their timeless qualities.
Gág’s repetitive
use of the phrase “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions
and trillions of cats” make this book a joy to read out loud. The cadence of the words roll off the tongue
in a manner that prompts frequent readings of the story. While the setting of the book is discernable
from the illustrations, there is nothing within the narrative itself that would
discourage readers from engaging in the story line.
The moral lesson
at the end of the story lends to the development of the plot. The character development of the old man and
woman is clear at the end of the book when they pronounce their formerly homely
kitten as the prettiest cat it the world.
The message that love can alter how you view another living being is evident
in both the illustrations and the text.
Overall, Millions of Cats is a delightful book to
read to young preschool children. The
melodic phrases regarding the number of cats guarantees the placement of this
book on the must read list.
4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Newbery
Honor 1929
Wanda
Gag posthumous recieved the 1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Millions of
Cats and the 1977 Kerlan Award for the body of her work.
School Library Journal’s 100 Best Books for Children states
that Millions of Cats has the “distinction of being the
American picture book that has continuously been in print the longest. “
The New York Times: “A perennial favorite.”
School
Library Journal’s One Hundred Books That Shaped the
Century: ”Considered by many to have
ushered in the age of the modern picture book, this Newbery Honor winner is
characterized by innovative design and a strong storyteller’s cadence.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*A story reminiscent of the story of the Ugly Duckling; one
that reminds us that we often grow into our beauty.
Anderson, Hans Christian, adapted by Jerry Pinkney, 1999. The Ugly Duckling. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
ISBN 978-0688159320
*Other books by Wanda Gag display her classic style of
illustration.
Gag, Wanda, 2004 (republished). Snow White and the Seven
Dwarves. Ill. by Wanda Gag. Minnesota: University of Minnesota
Press. ISBN 978-0816644209