Millions of Cats

by Wanda Gág

Book by Gag, Wanda

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Fiction, Animals, Classics, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1928

About the author

Wanda Hazel Gág (pronounced GOG) was an American author and illustrator. She was born on March 11, 1893, in New Ulm, Minnesota. Her mother, Elisabeth Biebl, and father, Anton, were of Bohemian descent. Both parents were artists who had met in Germany. They had seven children, who all acquired some level of artistic talent. Gág grew up the eldest of these, and despite their economic hardships, the family was surrounded by music, art, light, and love, making it for the most part a joyous existence.

When Gág was 15, her father died of tuberculosis; his final words to her were: "Was der Papa nicht thun konnt', muss die Wanda halt fertig machen." ("What Papa couldn't do, Wanda will have to finish.") Following Anton's death the family was on welfare, and some townspeople thought that Gág should quit high school and get a steady job to help support her family. Despite this pressure, Gág continued her studies. After graduating in 1912, she taught country school in Springfield, Minnesota, from November 1912 to June 1913.

In 1917, she illustrated A Child’s Book of Folk-Lore, following which she worked on many different projects and became a well-known artist and author. Her art exhibition in the New York Public Library in 1923 was the true beginning of her fame. She gained a reputation as an illustrator for socialist publications such as The New Masses, and she considered herself a feminist and advocate of free love in the 1920s. She did not marry her lover until later in life, for instance, although she lived with him before they wed.

She was especially esteemed for her lithographs, though today if her name is known at all it is usually from her children's books, specifically the classic Millions of Cats, which won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. Gág also received the Newbury Honor Award for this book, and the combined effects of it and her exhibition gave her the funds she needed to carry on her work without stress.

She died in New York City on June 27, 1946.

Reviews

[Brian Yahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millions of Cats is a short and fun story about the dangers of cat addiction, and how it's seemingly so illogical by showing the destructive side of cats, and how they're generally mean and unfriendly and awful pets.

But then by showing just one good, humble cat everything changes, and we remember why the Internet was invented in the first place: to share lolcats and cat gifs.

For educational and historical reasons, it's a must read.

[j e w e l s · Rating 5 out of 5]

The oldest American Picture Book still in print! Obviously, it is about cats.

Happy birthday, Wanda Gag!

I was a little disturbed by this book as a kid--I mean all the cats end up eating each other, but there is a happy ending for the one little ugly kitty- she only needed some love and milk to become beautiful.

A classic. Read it again and marvel at the simplicity of the story and the unique lithography!

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy the story (the narrative) itself, I did not find the accompanying illustrations of Wanda Gág's Millions of Cats all that visually appealing. I have never really liked black and white illustrations all that much, and the many, many cats together kind of remind me of masses of lemmings, rodents or locusts, faceless swarms of animals with no personalities or individual features (the only personable cat, in my opinion, is the little kitten left at the end, all the others are just a big mass of "catdom").

Now after having read some of the more negative and critical reviews from GR friends regarding Millions of Cats, I was actually at first rather reluctant to read it, as I assumed that it would describe in detail the cats eating each other and fighting amongst themselves. However, as others have indeed previously stated, the violence (or rather, the implied and supposed violence, as we only have the assumption of the old couple that the cats might have eaten each other) happens off-screen and thus is not ever really visible or even described. And furthermore, because there is an element of disbelief present (the old man brings home not just too many cats, but millions of them) this probably renders the author's, Wanda Gág's presented text much less problematic for children, who often seem able to accept the often grotesque violence in fairy and folk tales, simply because it is unbelievable, or just too overly exaggerated.

For me, Millions of Cats is not only an entertaining and intriguing story (albeit one with illustrations that I personally do not find all that aesthetically attractive), but also presents a cautionary tale about human responsibility, or more to the point, the lack of human responsibility. It was the old man's responsibility to find one cat to bring home, but he brought home millions. And later, when it becomes obvious that there are simply too many cats, the old couple again does not face their responsibility or accountability; they simply force the cats to fight it out amongst themselves. Furthermore, the fact that the original hill the old man sees is literally covered with domestic feral cats might also be seen as a lack of pan-human responsibility to both domesticated animals (including pets) and the environment in general (humans abandoning domestic cats in the wild and not realising or caring that there are likely not enough natural spaces available for all of them, that the feral cats will also need to eat and drink, and that the cats' presence will obviously also affect the environment, their surroundings). I know that many people regard Millions of Cats as an allegory against vanity, but I think that it could and really should also be interpreted as an allegory against irresponsibility (and perhaps even with more justification than this story being a cautionary tale against vanity). You might even say that Wanda Gág's Milliosn of Cats could easily present one of the first picture books (one of the first books for younger children) to somewhat promote environmental responsibility, by showing that we cannot simply allow domestic animals to overrun nature.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising! I was not expecting this story at all. I like Edward Gorey and this has some dark wicked humor in it. I thought the ending was funny, a joke. I know people don't like jokes at the expense of the lives of animals, but it was still a joke.

This book was published in 1928 - the Roaring 20s. It is a time of prosperity and excess. The whole country is going boom. I don't know if Wanda meant it this way and I don't know if she foresaw the future, but it works as an allegory for the times it was published. There were millions of cat which could be the prosperity of the people and stock market. What if the cats represent money. There will millions and trillions and they ate up all the resources. Then they all disappeared until there was only one little scraggly kitten left that needed lots of love to nurse back to health. The stock market vanished and prosperity vanish. I keep thinking this. I'm sure it's not meant this way, but as the reader, this is my interpretation.

Wanda's art is black and white drawings. I'm sure color was extremely expensive back then and used scarcely. The pictures are quant and I like the font the story is told in. Wanda was quite an author and I enjoyed this funny little book. It does have a dark twist at the end.

The kids were surprised by the end too. When the cats started to fight, their eyes got real big and the little guy asked, what's going to happen. Their heart strings were tugged when the answer came and the little guy gave a short Ha at the conclusion.

It's a different kind of story and this was a Newbery honor book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, dear... I thought I was going to absolutely adore this story based on the charming illustrations and the idea of a man who sets out to bring home a kitty for his wife, only to find that every cat he sees is just too cute to pass up so he brings home "millions of cats." However...

SPOILER

I thought the end was quite dreadful! Yes, even if this is a tale of the evils of vanity, it was a bit too much for all (but one) of the cats to eat one another up because each wanted to be the most beautiful and therefore the one chosen to be kept by the farmer's wife since she deemed only one could live with them. Eeek! :-/ I'm too much a cat lover to approve--no matter how adorable the sketches of the remaining kitten might be.

[Paula Mota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gatos aqui, gatos ali
Gatos e gatinhos por todo o lado,
Centenas de gatos,
Milhares de gatos,
Milhões, biliões, triliões de gatos.

Na badana de “Milhões de Gatos” surge uma foto da autora, Wanda Gag, com um gato, razão pela qual deduzo que fosse uma entendida na matéria, exibindo um belo penteado à la garçonne, típico dos anos 20 do século passado, revelando assim a idade desta história. Foi em 1928 que foi publicado o mais antigo livro infantil em circulação nos Estados Unidos, que nos fala de um casal de “velhos muitos velhinhos” que se sentiam sós e quiseram adoptar um gato, debatendo-se com um dilema com que me identifico plenamente: como escolher só um se vêm em várias cores e são todos bonitos?
Pessoalmente, acho que os gatos devem vir aos pares (ou trios, ou por aí fora), mas a opção mais infalível, como demonstrado neste livro ilustrado, é o chamado “cat distribution system”: um complô do universo para que um gato se cruze connosco ou nos adopte.

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creepy children's story about an old couple who long for a cat. When the old man finds the valley of cats he cannot choose the prettiest so he brings all million of them home. Where they ultimately eat each other. And the old idiots live happily ever after! WTF?

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about a couple who feel the need to share their lovely house with a special someone. When the old man goes off in search of a cat he finds more than he bargained for and as the title suggests he comes home with more than the one kitty.

when they end up with too many cats to look after the cats begin to fight and it is presumed that they have all eaten each other, you don't see this and it is obviously a nonsensical story so I didn't find this sad or distressing but just silly and amusing and in keeping with the humour of the book. The ending is nice and they find their perfect feline friend.

Read on open library.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For lack of a cat an old man and an old woman were very sad.



The tale of the cat (pun intentional)
Once upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was. But they couldn’t be happy because they were so very lonely.
“If only we had a cat!” sighed the very old woman.
“A cat?” asked the very old man.
Yes, a sweet little fluffy cat,” said the very old woman.
I will get you a cat, my dear,” said the very old man.



If one cat is good then millions must be marvelous
He walked a long, long time and at last he came to a hill which was quite covered with cats.



You can have too much of a good thing, but is it possible to have too many cats?
He went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys, to show all his pretty kittens to the very old woman. It was very funny to see those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats following him.

It is left up to the reader to find the moral of this classic story.


Enjoy!

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m shocked. I really liked this book. I read it only because it’s a selection of the Newbery book club for the Children's Books group, and I’m not participating until they get to 1953 or so (mostly because of reading time considerations; I do like the idea of reading every single Newberry and Newberry honor book), but this was an unusual Newbery selection: a short picture book.

I’ve been reading others’ comments and thought that I’d be repulsed by this book; I am not a fan of the macabre.

However, the illustrations and layout and general appearance was terrific. The repetitive line is a wonderfully fun read aloud, and I actually thought the story was sweet, especially the end and the beginning. I was an easily scared kid but even all those cats eating each other (presumably) I don’t think would have highly disturbed me; I would have focused on the surviving kitty, growing more wonderful every day.

What a weird book though!

I don’t remember this from my childhood but there is a very real possibility I was exposed to it then.

Ah, I just saw another reviewer of this book, a Goodreads friend, recommends it for: Readers Who Enjoyed "The Book of Bunny Suicides” and I think those books are hilarious, and I know that I can have a very bizarre sense of humor.

[Caterina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entirely unexpected tale with a dark twist, like a traditional fairy tale from the days when children were introduced to terrifying life lessons as well as moral goodness through fantastical animal stories, and social-political messages were hidden in nursery rhymes. Yet it is also a charming story, highly original, with a happy ending.

I picked the book up at the library solely on the basis of the whimsical title (Millions of Cats!? In fact millions, billions and trillions!!!) and stylized cover drawing of a smiling "very old man" with a loooong beard carrying armfuls of kittens, with a line of cats walking before and behind him over the poppy-covered hills. As my long-bearded husband and I, living alone in a little house surrounded by flowers, like the book's "very old" couple, have recently been blessed with a large litter of kittens from a stray cat we took in, of course I had to read it. But I would definitely recommend reading it yourself before introducing it to young children; a very disturbing event is implied (though it occurs mostly off-screen, in the old couple's imagination, leaving open the possibility that maybe the worst of it didn't actually happen) before the happier ending. I couldn't help but remember the fact that this book was published in 1928 (another surprise to me!) when the Great War was still on everyones' minds, and a decade later, the millions, billions, and trillions being "made" in the stock market did not look sustainable ... There is no direct or blatant symbolism, though, making for a better, more enjoyable story.

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old man and an old woman live in a small house. They are lonely, so the old woman says it would be good to have a cat, and the old man goes looking for one. He finds one, then another, then hundreds more, and millions to add. Then he brings the lot home which causes problems.

This is a weird little book. Probably somewhat dated, or even quite dated, but it made me laugh. I wonder if this is possibly the first book to deal with the dangers of cat hoarding, but I’m not sure. It’s quite fun in any case, and Wanda Gág was clearly a talented illustrator / writer in her time.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hundreds of cats. Thousands of cats. Millions and billions and trillions of cats."

This was a childhood favorite for me, so I couldn't be more thrilled that my own children love it now.

P.S. The cats do eventually eat each other up so if that's not your cup of tea, best to skip this book.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things I liked:
-cats, cats, and lots of cats! (duh)
-the fairy tale feel
-the fact that the man and woman are always referred to as "the very old woman" and "the very old man"
-the illustrations that span two pages
-the black and white illustrations are simple but expressive; very clean feeling
-this part: "cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats"
-the fact that the man just can't choose a cat because they are all so lovely--I can identify with that
-destructo, vain, cannibalistic cats! I can see how other people might find that disturbing but it rings true to me, as a cat-lover
-the ugly duckling (or kitten) wins!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of only a few picture-books to have been chosen as a Newbery Honor title - Wanda Gág's own The ABC Bunny was another, in 1934 - Millions of Cats is the charming tale of a very old man and a very old woman who, lonely and childless, decide to get a cat. But when the very old man finds himself before a hill covered in cats - "Cats here, cats there, / Cats and kittens everywhere, / Hundreds of cats, / Thousands of cats, / Millions and billions and trillions of cats," he cannot decide which one to take home. Returning with a horde of felines in tow, the very old man is greeted with consternation by the very old woman, and a decision is reached: they will keep the prettiest. But which is the prettiest...?

This book seems to have evoked a strong negative reaction in a number of readers, who have decried the violent and disturbing nature of Gág's solution, but I confess that I saw little cause for concern here. Millions of Cats is so clearly written in a fairy-tale style - the nameless little old couple who long for a child (or child-substitute), the quest to find the child, the convenient disappearance of the rivals, as a result of their own flaws - that I think young readers will take it in stride, treating it as the fantasy it is so clearly meant to be. I myself was reminded, especially at the beginning, of one of my own childhood favorites, Gladys L. Adshead's What Miranda Knew , which also featured a lonely older couple living in a quaint little home. Of course, that story involved a group of angels descending with two little babies for the old couple to care for, rather than a winsome kitten, but the sense of surreal whimsy is very similar.

The narrative itself, with its sing-song refrain about the millions of cats, reads very well, and would make an excellent story-hour selection. The type, which looks hand-written, is charming, and the illustrations are simply adorable, with a folk motif style that really appealed to me. In short: I'm going to have to disagree with some of my friends, much though I respect their views. I think Millions of Cats is a picture-book winner - one that definitely deserves a place on the young reader's fairy-tale shelf!

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was dating The Guy I Wasted My Twenties On, I had the obligatory meet-the-family at his parents' home. His step-sister E. was cool, and elegant, thin as a rail with her hair in a bun - she looked like Princess Caroline of Monaco. I was swooning; I so wanted to be her. Somehow we got to talking about children's books, and she could NOT BELIEVE I had not been read this book as a child!

Well, if this Goddess wanted me to read Millions of Cats, dammit, I was getting a copy posthaste. And, it was . . . okay. I read it once, and that was it. I stashed it away in case I had kids, which I did, though not with E.'s step-brother.

I do recall reading this once to my boys who were . . . well, unimpressed.

Looking at the book now as a children's librarian, I am equally unimpressed. Too much text, not enough pictures. Is the story engaging? Nobody wants to stick around long enough to find out. This book hasn't been checked out in ages, yet it stays on the shelf because it's considered a "classic."

I'm glad many readers have fond memories of this from their childhoods. I'm just not one of 'em.

[David Gallagher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a 60 minute break between classes at school, and, to kill time, I decided to go to the library and read a book short and easy enough to be able to finish it fast.

So I picked Millions of Cats. From the Children's section.

I could tell this was a vintage/classic children's book, but I wasn't sure exactly how much vintage/classic it was.

A LOT.

I started reading thinking, "oh, what a cute story! Such cute kittens! I wouldn't be able to pick one either!"

And a few pages later....

"WHAT. THE. FUCK??"

Is it a children's book? I somehow doubt it - maybe when it was published, but I don't see how children can relate to its cruelty and cattibalism (that's 'cat cannibalism') and not feel shocked by it. I was shocked! The couple that want the cat in this story are both selfish and responsible for animal cruelty! Humans messed with nature long ago it seems.

I wasn't drawn to this book - it actually left me feeling cold. I know today's children wouldn't be able to understand the text as a child of that era might have been. Either way, I didn't enjoy it. Too cruel, bizarre and anachronistic for me.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a cat-loving child, I was endlessly delighted and charmed by Wanda Gag's fairy tale Millions of Cats, and it was one of the books I re-read until it was in tatters. I especially liked looking at the cats' different colors and color patterns and trying to decide which I'd choose to keep. I recommend the book highly and wish it were more well-known.

Its companion book is The Funny Thing and is, sadly, difficult to find. Reading it on Open Library may be the only way.

[Giulia China · Rating 5 out of 5]

Millions of Cats it's a children's classic in American literature, any cat's lover should have it in his bookshelf! It's a funny comical illustrated little story, perfect for any kids. As we know from youtube videos anything with cute fluffy cats will go viral!!



Too cute!!Gosh I love them *:*

4.5/5 STARS

[Mauoijenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember my grandmother sending me this book in a care package when I was young. I enjoyed this so much. I can still see the illustrations in my head. This adorable story about an old man and his cats was one of my most favorites growing up.

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

O título já diz tudo, se trata de milhões de gatos mesmo, que se comem e só deixam um filhote magrinho que não se acha bonito, mas é amado. Meio aterrorizante, mas tudo bem, hehehe

[Janni]

A cautionary tale about the danger of relocating wildlife.

An old man removes an entire population of cats from their native ecosystem, only to discover he lacks the knowledge and resources to care for them on his own. When the cats grow hungry he offers them each a mouthful of grass, unaware that these obligate carnivores cannot subsist on such a diet. "What are you doing?" the old woman he lives with cries when she sees the cats, aware, as he is not, of how unsuited the creatures are for their new environment. Her fear proves well founded, as in their desperation for meat the poor felines ultimately resort to eating one another.

Only a single small kitten survives, young enough to live on the milk the man and woman are able to provide, but it faces an uncertain future as it grows "nice and plump" and nears adulthood.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Millions of Cats” is a Newberry Honor book by Wanda Gag about how a very old couple wanted to have a cat for companionship, but they end up getting a million cats as pets and they have to decide which cat to keep for themselves. “Millions of Cats” may have a gruesome solution to the couple’s problem with having so many cats, but this book is still a great book for children to read for many years.

Wanda Gag’s story is cute and creative as it details a very old couple’s desire to have a cat to care for and put an end to their loneliness. Wanda Gag has done an excellent job at building up excitement in the story as she starts the story off as being tranquil as the old couple just wants a cat for companionship and then becomes a bit frenetic when the very old man takes in all the cats up on the hill. Wanda Gag’s illustrations are cute yet old-fashioned since the scenery and the characters are all in black and white and the characters look extremely simple than what you would find in the present era of children’s books. The images of the very old couple were the true highlights of the book as they look a bit pudgy and yet have cheerful expressions on their faces all throughout the book.

Parents should know that the solution to where the couple tries to have one cat out of all the millions of cats that the very old man brought home is a bit too disturbing for smaller children. I will not reveal the ending, however let’s just say that the way that the cats handle the problem of trying to figure out who is the prettiest is like the predator versus the defenseless animal scenario. Parents might want to reassure their children about the food chain and how there are other solutions in selecting just one pet.

“Millions of Cats” is the perfect book for children who love learning about having a pet and love everything about cats. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since smaller children would be scared off by the disturbing solution that the cats figure out to see who is the prettiest among themselves.

[Theresa Marsala · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in 1928, won the Newbury Award in 1929 & is recognized as the first modern picture book. This is my first time reading this classic & I was pleasantly surprise. It was not at all what I expected. I guess I can see how some would call it "gruesome" towards the end by today's standards but I've noticed most old folk tales, fairy tales, or fables do have serious consequences to some extreme extent. I don't hold that against it considering when it was written & how well the moral of the story still holds up today~ vanity is evil & can be destructive. Be humble. With love & care the "homely" can become the "most beautiful"

[Shainlock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty quick read, though I loved staring at the illustrations and I loved the pattern of rhyme. I told my mom she needed to read this before turning it in for me bc I tell you, she is just like the man in this book when trying to keep or pick out a cat. (I like this one, oh but look at the stripes on this one..) Then in the end, she always ends up with a little sweetie that needs TLC.
I’d love to own this one. It’s great for any age in my opinion. It’s not a really short children’s book with a standard “brush your teeth” moral. It’s one we all can enjoy. Beauty is only skin deep and nourishing a soul can bring out the beauty within. ;)
🎵🎶♥️🧚‍♀️

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can I just say the old man picking out a cat on the hill is pretty much like me tryig to pick a book in a bookstore... ?

This story book is quite quaint, and cute to boot, since it's filled with cats. Great to read out loud to the little ones.

[Sharon Huether · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of an old couple that wanted a kitten. The old man traveled miles to find a kitten then finds hundreds, thousands, millions ,billions and trillions of cats. They all follow him home plus the kitten.
A classic story book, beautifully illustrated; winning the Newberry award.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite picture books. Wanda Gag was so cool. Love everything she has ever done.

[cossette · Rating 3 out of 5]

my boss read this to me during our weekly check in

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

An old man wants a cat for his wife, but has trouble picking just one when he discovers a hill covered with millions of them, billions of them, trillions of them. When he tries to take them all home, the narrative suddenly veers into horror territory as they cut a swath across the land like locusts before turning on each other.

Dark and weird with too many evil cats, millions of evil cats, billions of evil cats, trillions of evil cats.

This is one of those books that we've had for twenty-plus years but never revisited after the first time we read it to our toddler.