Review: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
On a freezing morning in January of 1988, librarians in the small town of Spencer, Iowa found a tiny kitten stuffed into the night drop box. The kitten was shivering and starving, but he won the hearts of his rescuers and made the library his permanent home. In Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, Vicki Myron tells his story. Shortly after his arrival a contest was held to name the new cat and he was officially dubbed Dewey Readmore Books. He seemed to be ideally suited for the life of a library cat; he was very tolerant and loved being around people. Dewey seemed to know who needed him the most and did what he could to meet their needs. He was wonderful with children and wasn’t destructive. He became an ambassador for Spencer, Iowa and people came from all over to see this marvelous cat.
I enjoyed this book, but at one point, I thought it got a little bogged down with the author’s medical and family problems. I know some background was necessary, but for a little while, I felt like it steered away from being a story about Dewey to being a story about the author’s difficulties. Thankfully, it got back on track in time for an emotional ending. I think library lovers and animal lovers will enjoy this book. It was published on September 24 by Hachette Books.
Nice review. I like the idea of the library cat, but I haven’t yet felt the need to read the book.
I just recently started hearing about this one, but it does sound really cute.
Great review. I was on the fence with this one. I have a feeling this book would make me cry – something I hate to do.
Great review. This book is sitting beside my bed. I am an animal lover and can’t wait to get to reading it.
It was a sweet story. People that do not understand cats may not understand the connection but overall, I enjoyed. I agree on the medical stuff but it was sort of a parallel to what was going on with Dewey so I didn’t mind it too much.
Dewey sounds like one special cat.
This sounds like a nice book especially if you are a cat lover! I used to work in a rehab hospital and we adopted a cat that showed up on our doorstep. The hospital is more rural and woods around it.
We deemed him the therapy cat and he was well loved. He sat by patients in therapy and was a comfort and encouragement to them.
What a cute kitty and a sweet story. Thanks for sharing. I’m not sure I will read the book, but the review was enough to make me smile.
Wasn’t Dewey great? My favorite part is when he hid in the lights. LOL
You see, I am 11 years old, and I read it, when the dog died, I CRYED! When Dewey (Dewards is what I call him in school) Died, I didnt…..It was weird. Great book. My Parents remember him! HES SUCH A CUTEY!
Thanks for the review. Not one that I would pick up on my own…but now I keep seeing the reviews and I think…. I must just want to. 🙂 I am an animal lover and book lover.
Nice review, and thanks for the warning about the book getting bogged down. Now I know where I can skim! 🙂
This is in my TBR stack; I’ll come back to read your review after I’ve read the book.
Sounds like an interesting story. I love animal tales, but I’m not sure I’ll read this one. I enjoyed your review, though!
You know, this one never really appealed to me until I started reading reviews from fellow bloggers. Great review, Kathy.
I thought the book was as much about the author as it was about the cat. Not what I expected. But, I loved the Dewey bits. 🙂
I wondered how the story about Dewey could be more than a few paragraphs long but I understand now that you’ve noted there is a lot about the author in there. The thing I enjoyed about Marley and Me was that the stories or recollections of Marley also tied into the family.
Thanks for an honest review. I’ve seen so many positive reviews of this book.
I just finished this book and I loved it. It is very inspirational but not only because of the way Dewey the cat touched people, but because of his special relationship with the author, Vicki Myron. I enjoyed the parts about her life as I believe this book is better because of it. What she is saying, is that as hard as her life was, with her divorce, being a single mother working & going to school all the time and the medical issues, she may have given up if it were not for Dewey. To simply talk about a loving, silly cat in a libary who touched people’s lives without providing a specific situation (Vicki & Dewey), would have been cute, but maybe not as inspirational. I feel this is not only Dewey’s story, but Vicki’s and I am grateful to her for that. If not for the detail of her life and her struggles, the meaning of Dewey, the real meaning of Dewey, may have been lost on some of us. I ask those of you who have not read this book, please don’t simply skim through those sections, they are just as interesting and very important to the story as a whole.
I am reading this book right now, and I am on Chapter 17. I normally don’t like books, but this one is really touching, and if your looking for something to brighten up your day, then this is the book for you.
I’m just about to begin the final chapter of this book, which was a birthday gift from a dear friend who knows I adore cats. It has been a touching read, for sure. Vicki writes with obvious love for Dewey and I feel her own backstory helps to support how special her relationship was with Dewey. I had 4 cats myself and they all have their own distinct personalities, just as Dewey did.
I am enjoying the book very much and would suggest any cat lover read it.