Book Cats

“The name that no human research can discover-- 

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess. 

When you notice a cat in profound meditation, 

The reason, I tell you, is always the same: 

His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation 

Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name: 

His ineffable effable 

Effanineffable 

Deep and inscrutable singular Name.” 

 ― T.S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Some Popular Book Cats...

Go here for my past post about T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.  (Edward Gorey's illustrations are amazing!)

You can read my review of The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar here.

Who wouldn't be smitten with The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter?

Or the story of Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag?

Paul Galdone's telling and illustrations of the Three Little Kittens nursery rhyme is adorable.

My grandson's choice would be Pete the Cat - all the stories are rollicking good fun - from Eric Litwin - with illustrations by James Dean.

And don't forget this guy...

Last, but certainly not least, I can't leave out Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat...

Update, November 3, 2015:  Hat tip to my blogger friend, artist and author Valerie Greeley (you'll find her over at Acornmoon) for a wonderful addition to this list, The Molehouse Cat.  I had never heard of this lovely cat story, but found an amazing Youtube video of the book that I've embedded below.  Enjoy!!!!!

KNOCK, KNOCK. WHO'S THERE?

"We looked! Then we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him! The Cat in the Hat!"


Happy Birthday to Theodor Geisel...Dr. Seuss!  (Read on to learn some interesting facts about Ted Geisel and to find out about a free downloadable gift that will help your child celebrate his birthday.)

[source]

"...it was The Cat in the Hat that solidified his reputation and revolutionized the world of children's book publishing. By using a limited number of different words, all simple enough for very young children to read, and through its wildly iconoclastic plot—when two children are alone at home on a rainy day, the Cat in the Hat arrives to entertain them, wrecking their house in the process—The Cat in the Hat provided an attractive alternative to the simplistic 'Dick and Jane' primers then in use in American schools, and critics applauded its appearance...

The enthusiastic reception of The Cat in the Hat led Geisel to found Beginner Books, a publishing company specializing in easy-to-read books for children. In 1960 Random House acquired the company and made Geisel president of the Beginner Books division." [source: The Poetry Foundation]

(These "beginner books" included: Green Eggs and Ham, Hop On Pop, Dr. Seuss' ABC, and Fox in Sox, to name a few.)  

A little bit of Trivia: Did you know Theodor Seuss Geisel also wrote some children's books under the pseudonym of "Theo. leSieg"? (LeSieg is Geisel spelled backwards.) A couple of these include: Ten Apples Up on Top! and I Wish That I Had Duck Feet.

What are your family's favorite Dr. Seuss books? Click here to read about our top three:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Horton Hears a Who!
If I Ran the Circus (this is also one of Weird Al Yankovic's favorite childhood books.  How do I know? He told me - here.)

So, who's there?  The Cat in the Hat?  Yes, and here's the gift:  to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday and "Read Across America" Day, you can download a free printable CAT IN THE HAT doorknob hanger for your child by clicking HERE.  There's also a two-sided version, HERE.

WHAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE BIRTHDAYS...

If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you. 

If you’d never been born, well then what would you do? 

If you’d never been born, well then what would you be? 

You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree! 

You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes! 

You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes.

Or worse than all that…Why, you might be a WASN’T! 

A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t. 

A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present. 

But you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant! 

-Dr. Seuss