Millions of Cats: A Review

Millions of Cats, Wanda Gág, 1928

This plot line would never fly in our household given the family cat allergies. A little old woman decides that a family pet will solve the loneliness in her marriage and sends the little old man out to find a cat. His indecision proves too much, and he abducts every stray cat on what I only assume the locals refer to as CAT MOUNTAIN. He returns to their tiny, lonely home with “Hundreds of cats, Thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats.” When they realize that they can’t feed trillions of cats, they pit the felines against each other in a death match until there’s only one kitten that hasn’t been EATEN BY THE OTHER CATS.

I’m unsure, but it seems like the moral is “humility will save you from mutual mass destruction.” Perhaps a better lesson learned is “STOP STEALING THINGS FROM THEIR HABITATS. It’s unsustainable and destructive.”

Of course, 1928 was a different time, post-Great War and pre-Great Depression, so I guess you could take whatever you could carry in abundance ’cause there was always more where that came from. The ’20s were ROARING!

The best part about this book is the artwork. The double-page spread was Gág’s innovation and it invokes the movement of billions of cats marching towards their inevitable demise. Her folk-style illustrations compliment the literary devices of rhythm, repetition, and refrain typical of oral tradition.

I’m glad the one remaining kitten solved the couple’s mutual ennui. I like the lyric repetition and the cats are pretty cute.

4 out of 5 Clydesdales

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter: A Review

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter, Kenard Pak, 2017

m. & d.’s priorities are way out of whack. They’ve already started hauling out the festive decorations, yet the car waits for a winter tire change. What a couple of amateurs. I’ve been trying to remind them about the shifting season by repeatedly requesting Kenard Pak’s Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter.

This lovely book documents all the changes from autumn to winter with illustrations that reveal the beauty in shorter days and colder temperatures. We say “hello” to a myriad of signs that hint at seasonal change such as falling leaves, migrating birds, fading flowers, quiet snow and silent nights. m. may hate the cold, but the snow scenes are particularly eye catching. Perhaps she should wear a coat and snow pants for the second half of the book.

Best of all, this book has horsies. And these horsies look small when they’re far away. Small horsies are called ponies.

It’s a great read to snuggle up with as the weather turns miserable.

Take a hint, m. & d. Winter is coming.

5 out of 5 Clydesdales

 

m. and d.’s accountability: A Review

First off, I’d like to thank m. and d. for living. They’ve done a bang-up job of ensuring I keep breathing and growing. That being said, m. and d. haven’t posted since April, which is a shame because I have a lot of “strong opinions” much like Nabokov (review pending). I’ve grown in so many ways and have come to appreciate things in a manner which begs to be written about publicly. They should employ some of the time management skills they keep talking about. We have a calendar.

If this experience has taught me anything, a reliable editor is worth the price.

Watch this space for more to come. But don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years. Well, two years.

Also, Clydesdales are the new doggies, so the rating scale has changed. There was a time when any horsies would do, but I’ve since become more particular in my horse appreciation. That’s right. Other horses are okay, I guess. But there’s no horse like a Clydesdale.

1 out of 5 Clydesdales

We Found A Hat: A Review

We Found A Hat, Jon Klassen, 2016

This absurdist three-act drama explores the desire for and impermanence of relationship, existence, and a flattering hat. When two turtles find a hat in the desert, an internal struggle ensues. They’re forced to determine whether they’ll ignore the hat or  allow its presence to fracture their friendship.

Is Jon Klassen the Samuel Beckett of children’s authors? If the way m. reads We Found A Hat is any indication, all signs point to yes. I anticipate that she’ll perform it as a one-woman show at the next Fringe Fest. It’ll be a challenge because there are two main characters, but I think she’s up to it.

5 out of 5 doggies