The Dewey books

Cats and libraries. In my mind that's an irrisistable
combination. So imagine my delight when, shelving picture books at
the Orono Public Library, I discovered Dewey There's a Cat in the
Library and Dewey's Christnas at the Library by Vicki Myron and Brett
Wittner. Dewey, by the way, was a very real cat.
Dewey There's a Cat in the Library looks at the earliest Dewey
days. He was left in the book return box of the Spencer [Iowa] Public
Library on the coldest night of the year. He was given a warm bath,
named Dewey Readmore Books, and adopted. Quickly he made the library
his own and won the hearts of its patrons. There's an adorable part
at the end where he cheers up a sad little girl.
Dewey's Christmas at the Library celebrates his discovery of the
festive season. The tree piques his curiosity. The ornaments become
perfect play things--especially a ball of red yarn. He's disappointed
when his tree disappears and elated when it's put back into place with
a blue ribbon for its Dewey themed decor winning first place in a
contest.
Both of these warm picture books are ideal to be read aloud.
And the illustrations perfectly complement the text. Steve James
really knows his cats. Whether curled up asleep or playing with
reckless abandon, Dewey exhibits that feline charm and grace that
turns every stance and move into pure ballet. And that sweet little
face! It would be impossible not to fall in love!
On a personal note, Joey cat is in feline heaven, being able to sit on
his favorite window sill and visually stalk robins through the
screen. He also enjoys the daily brushing to prevent hairballs.
A great big shout out goes out to Joey of course, my friend Jann's
lovely Hannah Marie, and the folks at Veazie Vetinary Clinic and their
dedication to all creatures great and small. And I wish to pay
tribute to the fond memory of Kaspar the bookstore cat.
Julia Emily Hathaway

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