The Catawampus Cat

PreS-Gr 1—One Tuesday morning, the titular feline arrives in town, with his distinctive listing gait. He's largely ignored at first, until people take notice and try to "straighten him. To no avail." And when they tilt their heads to look more closely, curious things happen. The grocer's wife spots her wedding ring, which has been missing for 20 years, and her husband looks at her in a new light. The barber discovers a new sense of style, the house painter makes a creative statement, and the town librarian quits her job and sets out on an adventure. All because of a slight change in perspective. Slowly, the whole town embraces an off-kilter worldview, and the folks seem so pleased with themselves that they decide to honor their lopsided role model. The cat responds by straightening himself out and walking out of town, "once again uniquely catawampus." The tale's simple wordplay and upbeat sentiment are greatly enlivened by the clever, animated mixed-media cartoon artwork, all of which is slightly askew. The spread of the cat stretching and trying out his new stance is priceless.