This image is the cover for the book Millions of Cats, CLASSICS TO GO

Millions of Cats, CLASSICS TO GO

"Millions of Cats" by Wanda Gág is a timeless children’s story about an elderly couple seeking companionship through a pet. When the husband sets out to find a cat, he encounters "hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats." Unable to choose just one, he brings them all home. This decision leads to chaos, as the cats begin to fight over who is the prettiest, leaving only one humble, scraggly kitten behind.
The book highlights themes of vanity, humility, and contentment. Through its rhythmic text and whimsical illustrations, Gág captures the simplicity of desire and the consequences of excess. The surviving kitten, chosen because of its lack of pride, teaches a gentle lesson about the value of modesty and being true to oneself.
"Millions of Cats" remains beloved for its playful repetition, moral undertones, and timeless storytelling, making it a classic that resonates with both children and adults today.

Wanda Gág

Wanda Gág (1893–1946) was a pioneering American author, illustrator, and printmaker, best known for her classic children's book Millions of Cats (1928), the oldest American picture book still in print. Born to German immigrant parents in New Ulm, Minnesota, Gág grew up in a household steeped in art and storytelling, which deeply influenced her creative development. Her father, an artist, encouraged her artistic pursuits before his early death when she was 15, thrusting her into the role of family breadwinner. Despite this hardship, Gág pursued her passion for art, attending the Minneapolis School of Art and later the Art Students League in New York.
Gág’s work bridged the gap between folk traditions and modernist aesthetics, blending whimsical illustrations with deeply humanistic themes. Millions of Cats, with its repetitive, almost hypnotic narrative and detailed pen-and-ink drawings, broke new ground in children's literature, offering a complex emotional landscape uncommon in the genre at the time.
A feminist and advocate for artistic independence, Gág’s work also extended to adult audiences through her prints, diaries, and essays, which revealed her keen insights on life, art, and the role of women in society. Her unique vision continues to inspire illustrators and writers today.