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SeaStar
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Come on... we have a the wonderful mouse thread going, so we have to have cats 
A couple of our favorites are:
Telling Time With Big Mama Cat
I love the illustrations in this one
Papa Picolo
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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SeaStar
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Naming the Cat
Laurence Pringle
We just went through this a few months ago, so this funny story especially appealed to me
family, cat, names, luck
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MaryM
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Titanicat - a fun cat story and history lesson all in one. Told from the perspective of a cabin boy for the Titanic, it shares the story of a cat who is to be the ship's "cat" - needed to eat mice onboard, etc. You see all the preperations for the first voyage of the Titanic and learn much about the ship. Then when the cat has kittens and mysteriously moves them off the ship, the cabin boy follows and misses the launch - only later to realize how lucky he was. It's a great story, supposedly based somewhat on a real story.
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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Oh, and we have to include the Wanga Gag classic - Millions of Cats!
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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Isn't it crazy how a suggestion like this just sticks in your head (well mine anyway  ) - trying to remember all my favorite cat books and they are randomly coming into my head...
Ashley Wolff's lovely book - Only the Cat Saw - a favorite from my early mothering days. So simple and sweet.
And Melinda, I want you to know whenever anyone posts something like this I go crazy. I just wiped out our library of cat books I want to review, and requested another 30 more...oh, the addiction of a picture book challenge... 
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Mary M. in Denver
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MaryM
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And this will probably be my last post here before we close (promise - ), but in the books I got today one is a Clare Turlay Newberry book - Marshmallow about a pampered pet cat and the new bunny that comes to live at the house and who eventual adopts the cat as her mother. Anyway, I "discovered" Newberry and her books with the cat art work several years ago - which is lame it took me that long since she was a several time Caldecott Honor winner in the 30's and 40's. The majority of her books are about cats and they have the most beautiful and engaging illustrations - especially the charcoals. Mittens and April's Kittens are two of my favorites.
This is a lovely website of her life and works. Her daughter also has a website about her. You can see the bibliogrpahy of books and read her bios onthe sites. In my opinion, no reading of picture books about cats would be complete without including at least one of hers in the mix. Some are currently in print - other's you have to hunt for OOP.
Marshmallow
April's Kittens
Smudge
Babette
Mittens
The Kitten's ABC
Pandora
Ice Cream for Two
Cats A Portfolio
Cat & Kittens a Portfolio
For some art study here, I just requested DRAWING A CAT, where Newberry explains her methods and illustrates her sketches.
Sorry to go on and on... 
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SeaStar
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Mary, I am sorry to say that I am very glad you are an addict, and I will not be organizing an intervention on your behalf.
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MaryM
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SeaStar wrote:
Mary, I am sorry to say that I am very glad you are an addict, and I will not be organizing an intervention on your behalf.
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If my friends won't even help me, who will???
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Mary M. in Denver
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SuzanneG
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Dick Whittington and His Cat
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MaryM
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I just added these to the Valentine/love thread - but they fit this category as well because they are about cats. Cats and love stories - 
The Valentine Cat (Robert Clyde Bulla) - This is a very sweet story though fairly long in text for a picture book. Tells the story of little kitten with no home who is found and adopted by a lonely painter. Because he is black with a white heart shaped patch on his forehead he is referred to as the Valentine cat. The painter's life brightens with this new friend in his life until the cat is stolen by a mean chimney sweep. The rest of the story tells how he is eventually reunited with his true owner after a Valentine parade. I found the book to be quite charming and particularly nostalgic with the lovely illustrations by Caldecott artist, Leonard Weisgard.
Senor Don Gato (illustrated by John Manders) - There is an old Spanish folk song by this name and this is the lyrics set to humorous illustrations. The protagonist - Senor Don Gato is a cat who while reading a love letter from a lady cat falls off the roof. He is thought to be dead and his funeral procession passes by a fish market where the smells revive him. It is really silly but cute. It's especially interesting given it is a real folk song.
For the Love of Autumn (Patricia Polacco) - A young teacher has a cat named Autumn whom she loves very much. An injured Autumn goes missing during a terrible storm. She and her students search but to no avail. Many weeks later Autumn shows up with a bandaged tail and a new collar. The mystery of where she has been and who has been taking care of her, leads to love.
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SeaStar
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MaryM wrote:
I just added these to the Valentine/love thread - but they fit this category as well because they are about cats. Cats and love stories -
The Valentine Cat (Robert Clyde Bulla) - This is a very sweet story though fairly long in text for a picture book. Tells the story of little kitten with no home who is found and adopted by a lonely painter. Because he is black with a white heart shaped patch on his forehead he is referred to as the Valentine cat. The painter's life brightens with this new friend in his life until the cat is stolen by a mean chimney sweep. The rest of the story tells how he is eventually reunited with his true owner after a Valentine parade. I found the book to be quite charming and particularly nostalgic with the lovely illustrations by Caldecott artist, Leonard Weisgard.
Senor Don Gato (illustrated by John Manders) - There is an old Spanish folk song by this name and this is the lyrics set to humorous illustrations. The protagonist - Senor Don Gato is a cat who while reading a love letter from a lady cat falls off the roof. He is thought to be dead and his funeral procession passes by a fish market where the smells revive him. It is really silly but cute. It's especially interesting given it is a real folk song.
For the Love of Autumn (Patricia Polacco) - A young teacher has a cat named Autumn whom she loves very much. An injured Autumn goes missing during a terrible storm. She and her students search but to no avail. Many weeks later Autumn shows up with a bandaged tail and a new collar. The mystery of where she has been and who has been taking care of her, leads to love.
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Mary- thank you! I have been trying to remember the name of the book about Autumn. We read it last year, and it was a favorite- very sweet.
Also- love Don Gato
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Knitty Kitty
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pmeilaen
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Violet Comes to Stay
Violet Goes to the Country
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MaryM
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When this thread first started, I went gangbusters and requested a stack of books. I included some in reviews earlier. Now they are due back to the library and I realized I hadn't added most of them here. So a quick survey of lots of cat books.
The Necessary Cat - Nicola Bayley
Really a fun book for all-things cat. Sort of a scrapbook of cat information, from literary cats, to cats in art, cats in history, cat sayings, poems, cat facts, etc. Just a treasure to read. Love it.
Barn Cat - Carol Saul (Mary Azarian, illustrator)
A wonderful woodcut illustrated counting book. Goes through number 1-10 with the adventures of the barn cat. Simple and very sweet.
Six Dinner Sid - Inga Moore
Cute story about a cat who has six different homes on the same block unbeknownst to the "owners." Follows his life and culinary adventures until he is found out.
Picasso and Minou - P. I. Maltbie
A stray cat ends up being taken in by artist, Pablo Picasso during his "Blue Period" and the cat helps him move on in his art. Based losely on true story.
Classics:
Pet at the Met - Lydia & Don Freeman
Classic Don Freeman book focusing on some great animal characters, a mouse family and a cat, who live at the Metropolitan Opera.
Angus and the Cat - Marjory Flack
This sereis covers the exploits of Flack's infamous Scottie dog, Angus. In this particular book it chronicles his adventures with a cat. I loved Marjory Flack's Angus books - brings back memories.
The Merry Chase - Clement Hurd
Another great picture book classic about the adventures between a dog and a cat, brought to life with the colorful and nostaligic Clement Hurd illustrations.
Does anyone know anything about Sneakers: the Seaside Cat by Margaret Wise Brown? I saw it on Amazon and it appears to be a reprint (with some actual rewriting of text) from an older book. Newly illustrated by Anne Mortimer, whose work I enjoy. I haven't seen this edition or the original, but it looks intriguing.
Fun books featuring the antics and mischief of cats:
Posy - Linda Newbery
Lovely picture book with fun, whimsical illustrations and catchy text that paints a picture of cat character. Those who love to watch cats in action will enjoy this book.
Cat Jumped in! - Tess Weaver (Emily Arnold McCully, illustrator)
Follows a very cute cat through a series of (mis)adventures throught he house during the day. Realy gets to the inquisitive nature of a cat. Fun to watch all the trouble he gets into.
Top Cat - Lois Ehlert
Illustrated in typical Ehlert collage. Told in short text, tells the adventures of a cat who now has to share it's home iwht another cat. Covers the typical mischief of cats.
I Walk at Night - Lois Duncan
Subdued, rhythmic text follows a cat on its nightly adventures and explorations while the family sleeps.
Cookie's Week - Cindy Ward (Tomie dePaola, illustrator)
Each day of the week finds Cookie getting into some sort of mischief. Tomie dePaola does fun cat illustrations.
Cat & Mouse - Ian Schoeherr
Adventures between a cat and mouse told in minimal text, vibrant/active illustrations and playing off such rhymes as "Hickory, Dickory, Dock" and "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo."
Frankie Works the Night Shift - Lisa Westberg Peters
Another look at night adventures of a cat that prowls a hardware store at night and sleeps all day. The illustrations are a real interesting mix of media.
Found a couple that tell fictional stories about cats that came on the Mayflower, since it it is likely that some did (as would have been on all ships of the day) and were the first cats in North America. Since we don't really know much about them, it has clearly been an interesting subject for children's authors to speculate about.
Pilgrim Cat - Carol Antoine Peacock
Fictionalized story of a cat aboard the Mayflower and the girl who befriended her. Follows the dialy lives of the Pilgrims and Squanto, through the eyes of the cat, Pounce, and her kittens.
Ballad of the Pilgrim Cat - Leonard Wibberly
A little longer than a picture book & fewer illustrations but not a chapter book. It is a poem story of a cat that came over on the Mayflower.
Not so much stories, but books about cats in general. I classify them as picture books though, not your typical non-fiction cat book:
Cats - Gail Gibbons
Gibbons always does a nice job of thoroughly covering the basics about single topics. Has lots of info about history, breeds, physiology, behavior, and care. Good book for someone to find out more about cats.
The Kids Cat Book - Tomie dePaola
A young boy visits a neighbor who advertised free kittens. He learns all about the history, breeds and lore, and care of cats, before going home with a box full of kittens (much to his parents dismay  ). Lots of information about cats in a short picturebook. Classic dePaolo illustrations.
Dogs and Cats - Steve Jenkins
Jenkins is known for his great books on animals. He has wonderful paper collage illustrations which are just so intriguing to look at. This is an interesting format for a book. One half is about dogs, the other half (when you flip it over and start from the back) is about cats. Has interesting facts and information about cats of the world - from wild to domestic.
I discovered that Sue Stainton is pretty much a cat book author. Books include:
I Love Cats
Great illustraions capture the various moods and behaviors of cats. Very little text except, one of two word descriptions of each tohte cats pictured ("prancing cats", "wiggly cats", "cats that think", etc.)
The Lighthouse Cat
A tale of a lighthouse cat and how he (and other cats) saved the day when the lighthouse lamp went out.
The Chocolate Cat
Simialr to the Lighthosue Cat book, it is a story of a cat that saves the day where it lives. This time the cat helps in a chocolate shop that has little business.
If you like hard-luck, cat rescue books try:
Hero Cat - Eileen Spinelli
Is based on a true story about a stray cat who saved her kittens from a fire. End notes include info about the real cat the story is based on.
The Cat of Strawberry Hill - Fran Hodgins
An lost cat is rescued and taken to a nearby inn, where it becomes the mascot of the place.
Cat poem picture books:
If Not for the Cat - Jack Prelutsky (Ted Rand, illustrator)
It's a picture book of haiku poems about various animals. Really not about cats too much, except for the title and the first haiku. But is has wonderful Ted Rand illustrations so I couldn't resist including it.
Old Possum's Book of Pratical Cats - T. S. Eliot
Speaking of cat poems, this is new editon (and illustrated) of Eliot's playful cat poems first published in the 1930's.
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SuzanneG
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Holy Cat!  There are SO MANY CAT BOOKS! 
Mary, here's one from your Chronological History Picture Books List:
Temple Cat, by Andrew Clements. Ill: Kate Kiesler
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Sanveann
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I loved "Millions of Cats" as a child :)
Also, "The Secret Kitten". This one appears to be out of print, sadly! (Disclaimer: I haven't read this one in a looooong time, so it may not be as great as I'm remembering it, lol!)
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MaryM
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In searching "weather/storm" books for another thread, I found this newly published book.
Gracie the Lighthouse Cat
Brief text follows a mother cat looking for her kitten in a storm near the lighthouse. In the background you see vivid images of the 1832 rescue by Grace Darling and her father of the survivors of a sunken ship near the lighthouse as that story is happening.
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MaryM
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New picture book about Julia Child told from the point of view of her cat, Minette. Uses quotes from her (and her husband's) letters. Seems very historically accurate. Cute side story about the cat's life with Julia. Beautifully illustrated. Extensive end notes.
Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat
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MaryM wrote:
New picture book about Julia Child told from the point of view of her cat, Minette. Uses quotes from her (and her husband's) letters. Seems very historically accurate. Cute side story about the cat's life with Julia. Beautifully illustrated. Extensive end notes.
Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat |
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Oh, I'm waiting for this one from my library. It looks good!
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4Real Forums : Picture Book Discoveries
Topic: Cats and kittens
