A Gray Cat Wanders
New Poems about Our Animal Friends
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 4, 2026
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- $10.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
This collection of previously unpublished poems by masterful children’s book author Karla Kuskin (1932-2009) will delight readers ages 4-8 who love animals and their distinct personalities.
A Gray Cat Wanders is a charming collection of never-before-seen poems from the late Karla Kuskin, beloved author of The Philharmonic Gets Dressed and many other picture books. Here, Kuskin’s unique, witty voice weaves through each poem, creating an exquisite menagerie of verses about animals both mighty and small. Meanwhile, in the art, a gray cat wanders from page to page and can be seen, sometimes hidden, throughout the book.
Here is a treasury of animal poems that, coupled with acclaimed artist Marcellus Hall’s playful illustrations, will instill in young readers a sense of wonder for the critters around us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Selected by Marcus (Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait) and illustrated by Hall (Duddle Puck), impish creaturely verse from late creator Kuskin (The Philharmonic Gets Dressed) consistently delights in this musing compendium, drawn primarily from the poet's unpublished manuscripts. The collection takes its title from its opener, which presents the solitary, brief, and wondrous observations of a cat "filled with gray cat thoughts/ pleased to be alive." Hazy, mottle-colored illustrations help make this feline a focal point throughout, placing the slinking, observant figure as an onlooker in most of the moody spreads that accompany the ensuing animal-centric verse. Across poems that work in both rhyme and open forms, and employ alliteration and other sonorous devices, the speaker frequently takes the perspective of someone marveling at the world's unexpected joys and simple pleasures. Of a nest, Kuskin writes, "There isn't a chair/ there isn't a roof or a window or bed./ The bird is content there." Elsewhere, fish "fin around/ with flips and flops" amid a rainstorm. Other pieces express a wry humor, particularly a quartet centered on insects, including one that warns against making baked goods for bugs. Marcus's afterword astutely highlights Kuskin as "a master of the droll understatement and sly observation," precisely pinpointing what makes this an entertaining and stimulating work. Ages 4–8.
