Mrs. Crump's Cat

Grade 2-4-When Mrs. Crump finds a cat on her porch step, she is determined to get rid of it. However, when she rushes out in the rain to buy a pint of cream, she ends up with a shiny red pet dish and a dainty yellow collar with a silver bell. As the woman continually makes excuses for not putting the animal out, expressive language implies the underlying loneliness and hope for companionship she feels. It would be foolish to turn out a dry cat only to have a wet one on the porch step again-¦it seemed such a shame to waste a half pint of cream-¦. But the most telling sign that she really wants him to stay is when she describes him as a finicky troublesome WET yellow cat with FLEAS on the Found flyer that she hangs. A mix of traditional and art-deco-style artwork and furnishings draws readers in to peruse each page and to marvel at the insides of the classic old-fashioned grocery store. This evenly paced story is great for a read-aloud and discussion and units on descriptive writing.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville, AL
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