Cats, cats, and more cats! The Cats of Mrs. Calamari is a cute book about love and family. Mrs. Calamari moves into a new apartment where the owner, Mr. Gangplank, does not want any cats in his complex. Every time he visits Mrs. Calamari's apartment, he suspects that cats are living there, but Mrs. Calamari insist that they are her relatives. After a week of thinking that the cats are her relatives Mr. Gangplank finds his glasses and realizes that they really are cats. He then feels the amount of love that Mrs. Calamari has for her cats. They are family to her, just like any pet should be. He lifts the "No Cats" rule, and marries Mrs. Calamari.

This would be a great book to read to 1st or 2nd graders to teach them about compassion for animals as well to love all as family. ( )

Mrs. Calamari moves into a new apartment to find that it has just been bought by a new owner who despises cats. As Mrs. Calamari moves her cats in with her, they disguise themselves as different people, and her landlord, who does not have his glasses, thinks that they are her family members. By the end of the story, Mrs. Calamari and her landlord are the best of friends, and has made a difference in how he feels about her cats. Stadler's story is a good lesson on making friends and how we sometimes get to choose our family. ( )

Mrs. Calamari moves into a new apartment on Monday with her seven cats. The landlord, Mr. Gangplank, told her no cats were allowed and must be gone by Sunday “or something will happen.” Mrs. Calamari begins disguising her cats, which are multiplying by the day. On Wednesday her cousins visit, on Thursday her nieces and nephews, and on Friday Mrs. Calamari’s grandchildren arrive.

Mrs. Calamari’s aunts and uncles arrive on Saturday and Mr. Gangplank takes everyone to the beach. He wants to celebrate having no cats in his building. All this time he has lost his glasses. Potato is the landlord’s huge dog. Mr.Gangplank claims Potato does not like cats, yet the pooch plays with the cats as if they are long, lost friends. What no one noticed was a sign that said “No Cats Allowed on Beach.” The brawny lifeguard approaches Mr. Gangplank and Mrs. Calamari and demands they get all the cats off his beach. A

Mr. Gangplank tells the young man that all of these (cats) are relatives, not Mrs. Calamari’s cats! Mr. Gangplank had warned that if there were cats in his building “something will happen” and on Sunday he keeps his word.

The Cats of Mrs. Calamari is a cute story that will delight cat lovers of all ages. Why cats are so disparaged is a mystery, but they are and Mrs. Calamari deals with the problem creatively. The illustrations are wonderfully accurate and most often quite funny. Each page has two frames, both of which would make a marvelous poster. This short book really begs for a sequel. Maybe the next can be about what happens after Mr. Gangplank follows through on his threat. On Sunday, something did happen, because of Mrs. Calamari’s cats being in the building. I would love to find out what happened next.

Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher

In picture books, neither the story nor the illustrations should stand alone, and THE CATS OF MRS. CALAMARI makes this point perfectly. A simple story of a woman with dozens of cats who assume disguises to trick the cat-hating landlord gains humor and depth when married with watercolor illustrations that let the reader in on the joke. Repeated phrasings and sequences make this book a delightful readaloud for small storytime groups, as the illustration details might be lost if viewed from a distance. Recommended. (59) ( )