• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: k to 3

Karen has lost her cat, Mr. Whiskers, on Friday night. She looks all over for him, and decides to put "Lost Cat" posters on trees and light posts around town.

Soon cat rescuers begin to arrive at her home with "found" cats they leave with her. By the time she has thirty-seven cats, she understands why -- she did not describe Mr. Whiskers on her poster, and every person who finds a cat delivers it to Karen.

Thirty-seven cats are a lot of cats. There are pussycats everywhere in the house, and Karen has a descriptive name for each: Purcee, Shredder, Clawdia, Groucho... all thirty-seven are painted in rich detail, and kids will enjoy matching names in the text to the illustrated cat.

Karen takes care of them for the weekend, inventing games, feeding and loving herds of cats. When she goes to buy more cat food, she sees posters for these cats too. With Mother's help, she takes each one to its home, and finally Mr. Whiskers turns up on his own, glad to be back.

Sheila McGraw is author of Painting and Decorating Furniture, Papier Mâché Today, Papier Mâché for Kids, Dolls Kids Can Make, and Soft Toys to Sew. She is the illustrator of the best-selling children's books Love You Forever, and Lightning Bug Thunder as well as author/illustrator of Pussycats Everywhere.

Sheila McGraw's profile page

This is a story by a cat lover for cat lovers ... Cat lovers will enjoy the dreamy illustrations of all kinds of cats, their many moods and the happy ending.

Children's Literature

The rich illustrations span sweeping residential street vistas and cuddly kittycats that look very soft and furry.

Quill and Quire

So effective is the cosy picture of Karen cuddling four softly rounded bodies that you can almost hear them purr contentedly. This fanciful tale is purr-fect for reading aloud. Recommended.

Canadian Book Review Annual

Colorful, realistic paintings support the well-written story. Young animal lovers will enjoy this entertaining book.

School Library Journal