Millions of Cats

a. Bibliographic data: Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. New York, New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1928. ISBN 9780698200913.

b. Plot summary:

A older couple living in the hills in a nice little home decided that this lifestyle wasn’t enough for them; they needed a cat. To please the wife, the husband sets out to find just that… but instead comes homes with “Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.” He simply could not pick which cat was the prettiest and therefore chose them all. When this task becomes too great for the elderly couple, they leave it to the cats to decide which of the prettiest cats shall stay. There is an epic battle where the cats eat one another and all that is left is the little scraggly kitten that did not speak up about being pretty. This one stayed with the couple and was nurtured until it became a beautiful cat. 

c. Critical Analysis:

         The characters in this story, an elderly couple living in the hills, portray a simple lifestyle with a simple desire for a cat. When the man is left doing the job for his wife, he ends up with all of the cats because he could not make a decision.

         The slightly morbid scene of the cats eating each other all up can be a bit disturbing, especially for the younger children. The theme to follow, however, is woven through the scraggly cat that appears at the end of the fight. The concept of humility is present in this example but may have to be explained to younger students.

         Through the pages of black and white, simplistic drawings, the story of an old man and an old woman is told through simple language and repetitions. The time period and relativity to students is not very relatable and the age of the characters is not either, but the students deserve to hear stories from a variety of diverse perspectives, including age. The repetitive phrase also allows them a chance to join in the story while it is being read.

d. Reviews:

"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)

"A perennial favorite." -The New York Times

Awards/Honors

1929 Newbery Honor Book

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Book

e. Connections:

I am currently reading this book aloud to my first grade bilingual class. I did not think they would enjoy it as much as they actually are! They have laughed at the extreme number of cats, which led us to talk about exaggeration and place value. This story can also connect with caring for animals as pets in our homes. We discussed the responsibilities, advantages, and disadvantages of having a pet. Although the middle of the book disturbed them, we had a great talk about humility and caring for anyone, no matter their looks, size, shape, etc.

Utilize the rhyme that is present throughout the book to create a song. This would help English language learners learn number sequence, rhyming, and pronunciation.

“Cats here, cats there,

Cats and kittens everywhere.

Hundreds of cats,

Thousands of cats,

Millions and billions and trillions of cats.” 

This Is Not My Hat

a. Bibliographic data: Klassen, Jon. This Is Not My Hat. Ill. By Jon Klassen. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2012. ISBN 9780763655990.

b. Plot summary: A brave, little fish has just informed its readers about his bold move; stealing a hat off of a much bigger fish. Confident in his endeavor, he is certain that he will not get caught for something he knows to be wrong. Each bold statement he makes about getting away is followed by pictures of what is really coming his way. Will he make it to the place where the plants grow tall and close together to hide him from the upset hat owner?

c. Critical Analysis:

         The story of a little fish stealing a big fish’s hat, from the perspective of the little fish, has had us all laughing and recalling the different parts of the story.

         The dark, deep background of the sea contrasted well with the earth-toned fish and plants, all with intricate little designs and patterns in them. The bubbles that follow the fish give our eyes something to follow as we gain insight in the story about the directions the fish are going. The facial expressions of the big fish, which really only consist of what his one eye is doing, help the reader feel what the big fish is feeling. The tone of the words however, helps us feel what the little fish is feeling. From his confident remarks to his wavering confidence, the words in the sentences show it all.

         The ending, which is my personal favorite, can be a bit surprising to some. I can see this as a disadvantage because the students do not get the pleasure of knowing what really happened to the little fish at the end of the story. The consequences of the little fish are unknown, which can alter the moral of the story if taken the wrong way. All of my students said, “He at the little fish!” This ending could also be an advantage because it causes students to use their brains and gives an element of surprise and wonder to the book.

        

d. Reviews:

“This would be a remarkable read-aloud for students to interpret the ending in various ways.” –Library Media Connection

“Klassen excels at using pictures to tell the parts of the story his unreliable narrators omit or evade.” –Publishers Weekly

“The central idea here is clever, but it’s the pacing that is impeccable. Like a classic comedy routine, the interplay of text, art, and page turns allow any adult reading this aloud to make it a hit.” –Calling Caldecott (Horn Book blog)

“This is, quite simply, an outstanding book- and that ain’t no fish tale.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Awards/Honors:

UKLA Children’s Publishing Awards

Kate Greenway Medal

Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner

CBA Libris Awards Picture Book of the Year Nominee

Buckeye Children’s Book Award Nominee (Ohio)

ALA Notable Children’s Books

Booklist Editor’s Choice

BCCB Blue Ribbon List

Apartment Therapy Best Children’s Book

A New York Times Bestseller

Society of Illustrators Original Art Show

Core Collections Star Title

Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books

Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year

Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award

e. Connections:

I read this exciting book to my first grade bilingual class during our daily read aloud time. I had been anticipating this time all day because I knew how much I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to share that experience with them. While reading the book, I tried to portray how important the illustrations were in developing the storyline. We discussed how the students can use the pictures as a resource to guide them through the character emotions, making predictions, and even understanding parts of the story that are not written out in words. Their eyes eagerly followed each page as it was turned and their laughs were evident all throughout. Afterwards, they were able to talk about the book with their peers, which they did enthusiastically.

There are plenty of activities that could be paired with this book. In my class, we paired it with our social studies lesson of being a good citizen. In the book, the fish steals a hat that isn’t his and in class we talked about the repercussions about this action in our own lives.

It would be fun for students to write their own ending to this book about what ever happened to the little fish.