A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the joys of adopting a dog. In the interests of balance and fairness (and because U.S. households with cats actually outnumber U.S. households with dogs!), here are some excellent picture books about adopting a cat.
Wheedle and the Noodle by Stephen Cosgrove is the delightful sequel to the original 1974 tale of the Wheedle. An abandoned kitten keeps the Wheedle from falling asleep, and insists (despite the Wheedle’s protests) on making a new home with him.
One night someone leaves a kitten in the library book drop in the utterly charming picture book version of the best-selling Dewey by Vicki Myron. Read how Dewey becomes a real library cat in this book based on a true story!
In Scrawny Cat by Phyllis Root, an orange cat used to belong to someone, but now he is all alone, lonely and scared. He takes shelter in a little dinghy and ends up on a sea voyage in this gentle, beautifully illustrated book about finding that special place called home.
Tonio missed his dog left behind in Mexico, and wasn’t really interested in cats, but he grows attached to the skinny, torn-eared old tom cat that he meets at the church hall. No pets are allowed where the family lives, but fortunately Tonio finds a solution that helps everyone in Tonio’s Cat by Mary Calhoun.
With food, love, and a lot of patience, a little girl befriends a scared stray cat in the simple, charmingly illustrated Ginger Finds A Home by Charlotte Voake. The illustrations are especially lovely in this story and the large print and simple text make it an excellent choice for sharing at a story time.
“Oops! I mistook these/for wiggly worms. I didn’t/know they were your toes.” Won Ton is a wary shelter cat sitting behind bars in this sweet story told entirely in haiku in Won-Ton by Lee Wardlaw. I love the illustrations, and the humor in this book, which will resonate with anyone who has ever owned a cat!
Mr. Putter is tired of living alone but he has not been young and peppy for a long time and does not want a kitten; luckily the animal shelter has the perfect cat for him and the tw
o form a beautiful friendship in Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea. If you enjoy this book, check out the further adventures of Mr. Putter, Tabby, and his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke!
And for more dog and cat stories, be sure to check out the list of
Picture Books about Adopting a Pet.
Leave a Comment