Yes, it's true: I love cats. But I'm definitely not the only one. Cats and kittens of all kinds are a perennial source of inspiration for picture book creators. Chances are you probably have a favorite cat picture book of your own. For this blog post, I talked to my colleagues at Bringing Books to Life! about their favorite cat picture books. Curious about our picks? Check them out below!
Marie, our Program Coordinator, likes They All Saw a Cat. A boy, a dog, a fish, a bat, and more all see a cat, but not all in the same way. Perspective—shaped by who we are and our experiences—matters. This delightful book won a Caldecott Honor in 2017.
First published in 1928, Millions of Cats has millions of fans—including Liz, Manager for BBTL! The oldest U.S. American picture book still in print, it garnered a Newbery Honor the following year.
If you want to read a picture book about a big cat, Liz has your back with her second choice, The Lion and the Mouse. This beautiful nearly wordless book by the imitable Jerry Pinkney won the Caldecott Medal in 2010. This book is an ideal introduction to the classic Aesop's Fable.
Lauren, our Curriculum and Training Coordinator, credits the rest of the BBTL team for introducing her to Bathe the Cat. Grandma is due to arrive any minute, but there are still so much to do to get the house ready, including giving the cat a bath! This rollicking, rhyming read-aloud brings the laughs and the family love.
Holly, our Literacy Coach, is also a fan of Bathe the Cat, but wants to highlight Kitty & Cat: Bent Out of Shape. It's bath time for Cat (ah! do you notice a theme?), and Cat is not in a good mood. In fact, he's all bent out of shape! Young readers will have lots of fun playing hide and seek and seeing how cat contorts himself into different shapes to avoid a bath. This book's clever use of geometric shapes makes it a great early math book.
Heather, who is a mom of three, says her two oldest kids are big fans of Chi's Sweet Home. This sweet manga series is perfect for younger readers. Chi, a mischievous little kitten, gets lost while on an outing with his mother. But Chi is found by a boy and his mom. What will happen next?
Heather herself loves Mapping Sam. This clever picture book is both a look at what a family cat does at night and an introduction to all kinds of maps and diagrams. If you are a teacher looking for a picture book with math applications, this is a great fit.
Caroline, BBTL's Bilingual Family Literacy Assistant, has fond memories of reading Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats as a child. Mrs. McTats lives alone with one cat. But in trios, quintets, and more, additional cats show up, each getting a name from the next letter of the alphabet. How many cats is that total? This fun picture book has both alphabet and math connections to use in the classroom.
I am a bona fide cat and cat book lover, so it was hard to pick just one book. But I am going with Crouton, a brand-new addition to our library collection. Crouton lives in the animal shelter, and she is on the lookout for the perfect person to adopt. Will she find them? This book is absolutely adorable!
If this blog post has whetted your appetite for more cat picture books, check out the catalog widget above. If cats are not your preferred picture book animal, try Library Concierge. NPL librarians can help you find the books you need, no matter your age or interests. Happy reading!
