Millions of Cats  Review by Stephanie Mihalik

1.     Bibliography

G’ag, Wanda. Millions of Cats.  New York:  Puffin Books, 1928.  ISBN 0142407089

2.     Plot Summary

When an elderly couple realizes that, although their lives are secure and comfortable, they are not quite complete, the very old woman decides a cat is what is needed to assuage their loneliness.  Thus, the very old man embarks on an other-worldly journey through hills and through valleys to fetch a cat for his dear.  As it turns out, trillions of cats are living among the sprawling feline countryside, and he simply cannot decide which one is the prettiest…so he brings them all home, as any adoring husband would do.  Upon returning home, the very old woman and man decide to let the cats decide which one is worthy of the title of prettiest and, therefore, the winner of a place in their idyllic home.  All of the cats but one humble, simple cat proceed to devour one another in a competitive fury.  Moreover, through the patient care and love of the very old woman and man, the one remaining cat becomes the most pretty of them all and enjoys the complete adoration and attention of the, at last, contented pair.

3.     Critical Analysis

G'ag's striking black and white illustrations appear to invite the reader into the pages to explore the sprawling bucolic scenes.  The hand lettering perfectly balances the folkloric elegance of the text.  The drawings of the very old woman and the very old man resemble hand-made dolls that beckon young readers to reach into the page and play a little while on the floor while listening to the story about a tremendous number of cats!  The rhythmic style utilized while introducing and reinforcing the notion of place value, embedded skillfully in a creative fictional tale, invites the child to welcome the orderly placement of the terms firmly in the mechanical and creative mind.  "[H]undreds...thousands...millions...billions...

trillions...":  the repetitional style gently solidifies these essential numerical concepts for the child. 

Additionally, children can certainly immediately relate to the thematic conundrum of being unable to decide among many inviting choices—especially at the candy store.  Yet, the careful message is subtly delivered that excess does not always make life easier or better.  Further, children are gently reminded by the victorious cat that possessing humility is a shield and a treasure—and may even be the primary element that leads to success.

4.     Review Excerpt(s) 

            1929 NEWBERY HONOR AWARD

1958 LEWIS CARROLL SHELF AWARD (posthumous)

From Knowledge Quest:  “Here Gag forever changed the possibilities for illustration design in picture books by spreading the illustration across two facing pages. Up until this time, the usual practice was to have the picture on one page and text on the other… Her classic picture books are something that children will cherish and return to time and time again (Crawford 2008, 63).”

Crawford, Philip Charles. 2006. “Of Sandpaper, Fairy Tales, Feminism, and Housework.” Knowledge Quest 35 (2): 62–65. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezp.twu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=24339817&site=ehost-live.

From The Oxford Handbook of Children’s Literature:  “Millions of Cats is a modernist folktale and a text that formally and thematically influenced the twentieth-century picture books that followed (op de Beeck 117).”

           

op de Beeck, Nathalie. “Wanda’s Wonderland:  Wanda G’ag and Her Millions of Cats.” In The Oxford Handbook of Children’s Literature, edited by Julie Mickenberg and Lynne Vallone, 115-127. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2011.

5.     Connections

A solid math connection could be made involving exploration and practice of place value, with specific focus on the hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, and trillions place values portrayed repeatedly in the text. 

A K-1 elementary lesson in life skills using this text could be taught on the subject of pets and all that they need to be healthy and happy.