My 5-year-old son brought this home from his school library, and he loved it so much he insisted we buy a copy! ( )

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Hm. Cute enough, but as others have said, the individual cats sometimes look a little odd. My biggest complaint, though, is that this widow(?) in a cozy cottage sees no problem in caring for 26 critters. It's fairly like the law and the humane society would beg to differ. ( )

Enjoyed the illustrations in this children's book even more than the story. ( )

Mrs. McTats lived very happily with her cat Abner, in a small cozy cottage on the outskirts of her village. Every morning she would go to market, and every day she would prepare their meal. And then came a scratching at the door, and Basil and Curly walked in. Was there room for two more cats? Of course - the more the merrier! Then the next day, three more cats showed up on the doorstep... and then more after them! Just how many felines was too many...?

As a confirmed cat-lover, one who thinks of "cat lady" as a compliment, I really expected to adore Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats, but somehow, despite its obvious virtues, I just couldn't take it entirely to heart. I think this tale of Mrs. McTats and her growing feline family will probably be very engaging for younger readers, who will enjoy hearing it read aloud, but it didn't do much for me. The illustrations by South African artist Joan Rankin, on the other hand, were quite charming - I loved Abner's dubious expression throughout! I wavered on my star rating with this one, but my enjoyment of the artwork, and my consciousness that I may not have been in the right mood for it, had me settling on three, rather than two stars. Recommended to young cat lovers, and to readers looking for stories that can also be used to introduce the alphabet. ( )