Millions of Cats (Wanda Gag)

Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 1928. ISBN 0881035602

Plot Summary
A man and woman live in an ideal home but are lonely. The man sets off to find a companion and discovers many cats, but is unable to choose just one. Millions of cats accompany the man back home. At their arrival, the wife is aghast and insists that they are unable to support so many cats. The cats are then asked to choose the prettiest to stay with the couple, and a vicious fight ensues. In the end, only one cat remains.

Critical Analysis
The main characters of this story are not distinctive or individualized as is the case in many modern children’s books. Instead, this book stands out as a classic because of Gag’s ability to weave a timeless story story with characters that are universal in nature. A child listening to this story can quickly place themselves in the position of the old man, unable to pick just one cat, one of the cats, wanting to be thought the prettiest, or the old lady, nurturing and caring for their beloved pet.

Rhythm and repetition will endear children to the book as it is read aloud. Vivid descriptions of each cat’s appearance, along with descriptive accounts of the cats draining of the pond will help children in the creation of their own mental imagery. Simple black and white drawings done reminiscent of old world dutch figurines add further dimension and bring life to the story. The younger readers will depend on the pictures to grasp the sometimes mature vocabulary and the nature of such large numbers of cats. Even young children will understand the implied theme that being pretty on the “inside” and not on the outside is what ultimately counts.

Awards and Review Excerpt
1929 Newbery Medal Honor
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Book
Children’s Literature- “text and illustrations [...] flow together”

Connections
*This book would be ideal for use as a readers theatre in the classroom with parts for a narrator, old woman, old man, and several cats.
*Have students rewrite the story from the perspective of one of the millions of cats.
*Do an author study after reading Millions of Cats, introducing Wanda Gag through the book Wanda Gag, The Girl Who Lived to Draw.

Ray, Deborah. Wanda Gág : The Girl Who Lived to Draw. New York, N.Y: Viking, 2008. ISBN 0670062928