Self Cat

An American classic with a refrain that millions of kids love to chant: Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats. Wanda Gág's enchanting tale of the very old man who went off in search of the prettiest cat in the world for his wife and returned instead with millions to choose from has become an American classic, widely recognized as the first modern picture book. First published in 1928, it was a recipient of the 1929 Newbery Honor Award and has gone on to sell over a million copies.

Ballet Cat and Sparkles the Pony are trying to decide what to play today. Nothing that Sparkles suggests - making crafts, playing checkers, and selling lemonade - goes well with the leaping, spinning, and twirling that Ballet Cat likes to do. When Sparkles' leaps, spins, and twirls seem halfhearted, Ballet Cat asks him what's wrong.

The first time I ever saw Smoky, she was on fire. My three children and I had arrived at the dump outside our Arizona desert town to throw out the weekly trash. As we approached the pit, which was smoldering, we heard the most mournful cries of a cat entombed in the smoking rubble.