She lives with her cats. Mrs. Brown has 60 cats to keep her company. All through the day Mrs. Brown’s cats keep her company, they snooze by her side as she cleans her house, or as she sits to enjoy her coffee. Mrs. Brown’s cats even wait as she works in her garden, plus they cuddle close as Mrs. Brown takes her afternoon nap.

 Throughout the day Mrs Brown is never, ever lonely. Throughout the day Mrs Brown’s cats practice perfect, if lethargic, good behavior. And so it goes for tiny Mrs. Brown who lives in a big house at the periphery of town along with her cats, cats, cats to keep her company.

 All day long, Mrs. Brown goes about her work. All day long, Mrs. Brown’s cats slumber and nod off and nap the day away.

 But at night! NIGHT is another story. Quick as Mrs Brown places the 60 bowls of cat food, offers a loving pat on the head of each cat and takes herself up to her bed,

 THE CATS GO WILD. Cats are chucking confetti. Cats are cavorting and cats are playing ball. Cats are eating spaghetti. Cats are chasing their tails, cats are baking, cats are cutting a rug. All night long cats are eating and reading, and writing, and knitting and, performing and, and partying.

 I must admit, I have always suspected as much. I too am a cat lady.

 These vivacious energetic kitties whoop it up until the dawn. Well of course, the house is in disarray come morning. The long-suffering Mrs. Brown wakes up every morning to a house in disorder.

 Does she throw the little beggars out, well, no; with her broom she gently sweeps her beloved, snoozing cats into a bundle so they can get their beauty sleep.

 At this point Osage County First Grade are weak with giggles. The first part of the book introduces the reader to Mrs Brown and her life during the day.

 We see the cats, however they are mostly sleeping. Sounds like cats I know. As day fades into night the felines come to life. Yes, sounds like cats I know.

 We know that cats are nocturnal which explains why they prefer to play at night and sleep away the day. Osage County First Grade likes the cats, they like Mrs Brown, and, they like the book.

 Gorgeous, indistinct watercolor images are filled with blurred edges and pale colors depicting the cats in specificity as only a cat lover can do. Cats are seen laying upside down, and in, and on and around everything.

 Illustrator Oller portrays cats decorating the weather vane up on the roof, and draped over, on, in and along every possible façade. They even drape around and over Mrs. Brown who sits with her lap piled with heaps of cats leaving only her strong legs visible.

 Seeing those illustrations causes me to ponder whether this writer and this illustrator have been peeking into my office as I work with a cat on my lap and another trying to settle in too.

 Osage County First Grade enjoys this book very very much, and, so do I. I think it likely that the adult reader must need to be a cat lover to truly appreciate the wacky rhymes and frolicking cats and the not quite there illustrations.

 Children need no such background, I find most kids simply like cats.

 The rhyming text reveals the wild and crazy stunts taking place in the zany household as writer Newman offers a rhyming elucidation as to why cats sleep all through the day and suddenly spring to life as the moon appears in the sky.

 Cats, Cats, Cats! is a children’s book for kids from 2 to 90 and cat lovers all.

 Happy to recommend.

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Reviewed by Molly’s Reviews

molly martin

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