Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron, Bret Witter, Steve James (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

Pet books melt hearts, but with a few exceptions (most conspicuously Marley), they seldom make bestseller lists. That seemed doubly true of cat books, which don't sell as well as their canine equivalents. That all changed though with the entrance of Dewey, Vicki Myron's adorable 2008 adult nonfiction book about a kitten orphan who became a popular public library resident. With this picture book, Dewey prances happily into the children's section, where we're certain that he will be welcomed by a whole new crowd of preschool friends.

From the Publisher

The story of Dewey the celebrated library cat is now available for the youngest of readers in this new, fully-illustrated picture book adventure.

When Librarian Vicki Myron finds a young kitten abandoned in the Spencer Library return box, she nurses him back to health, deciding then and there that he will be their library cat, and naming him, appropriately, Dewey Readmore Books. Dewey loves his new home, but once he discovers the littlest library visitors-who like to chase him, pull his tail, and squeeze him extra tight-Dewey begins to wonder if he's truly cut out for the demands of his new job. In the end, he is triumphant as he realizes that helping people big and small is what he is meant to do, and that by sharing his special brand of Dewey love, he can be the best library cat of all.

Publishers Weekly

This genial if cutesy adaptation of the authors' bestselling Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World gets an energetic boost from James's digitally rendered art. Animal-loving readers will be charmed by the realistic, closeup depictions of young library patrons and their tender (and sometimes not-so-tender) interactions with Dewey, who is based on a real-life feline adopted by Myron after it was abandoned in the book drop of her Iowa library. The narrative becomes overly precious, though, when it ventures inside Dewey's head: “ 'Babies are wonderful,' Dewey thought. “Cute and SMELL-icious, too.” And as he joins story hour he thinks, “Wowzy whiskers, this looks fun.” Despite being manhandled by some young patrons, the cat confides to his toy mouse that he is determined to help people (“I'm ninety-two percent convinced that that's the reason I'm around”) and makes good on his promise by cheering up a sad girl who's reading alone. He then proclaims himself a “REAL library cat,” which (the story concludes, on a well-worn note) “felt... purr-fect!” Ages 3–6. (Sept.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—This heartwarming picture book is based on the authors' adult title, Dewey (Grand Central, 2008). It describes how on a cold night Myron found a tiny kitten in the return box at Spencer Public Library in Iowa, and the feline's impact on the library community. Dewey Readmore Books overcame unpleasant encounters with young children who picked him up upside down or petted him the wrong way and settled in, "happy" to help people. The realistic illustrations, done in vibrant watercolors, bring the tale to life (the orange cat's expressions are priceless). The story moves along swiftly, and will be a hit with readers requesting animal books.—Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY

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