Dewey

The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Non-Fiction - Animals
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 09/01/2009
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

One cold winter morning librarian Vicki Myron heard an odd noise coming from the libraries book drop. She went to investigate and found a nearly frozen kitten. Dewey (named for the Dewey Decimal System) won the hearts of all the staff and the patrons. It took a little work but soon he won the hearts of the library board.

He found a loving home in the Spencer, Iowa library. He had his own routine, his favorite places to sleep and favorite people to spend time with. However, he never discriminated. He greeted all visitors. He offered the citizens of Spencer hope in a time of economic hardship. Like my cat he was addicted to rubber bands. When the author became ill he gave her courage.

However unbelievable it may be Dewey is a true story. It offers hope, encouragement, warmth and love to each of us. I won’t give away any more of the story. You will love Dewey whether you are a cat lover or not.

J. Stone

This book is for everybody. Whether you are a child or an adult, whether you like cats or not, even whether you like reading or not! It is a really heartwarming story that reads very easy and that will fill your heart with great affection. It is a story of an extraordinary cat, a librarian, and their lives in a small Iowa town. It's a story that brought the little town of Spencer onto the world map. The Japanese television filmed Dewey, and after he died, his obituary ran in over 200 papers. But most of all, this isn't just another cat story; it's a story of survival, endurance, trust, and hope. Finally, it is a story about love and living a good life. You will understand all that after you read the final few chapters.

I highly recommend this book! You will fall in love with Dewey after reading the first few pages. I promise you that! For more heartwarming stories about another ginger cat I suggest the series of Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3). Read them all - you will want to share the stories with your loved ones.

M. J. Lockey

I read this book and I'm actually from Spencer, Iowa. The photographer that is mentioned Rick Krebsbach took my senior pictures and saved my grandmother from choking to death at a local pizza joint when I was younger. This book is very well written and really made me feel homesick.

It also reminded me how much fun it was to have a cat in the library-Dewey would often sit on my lap. I am a cat lover and I would coax him over. The library was a great place to spend time when it was -20 degrees outside and you had a warm cat on your lap.

The book really does a great job describing Spencer, IA and the people there. The people are very kind, giving and special. By the end of the book, you feel like you know everyone she mentions-even though I do know most of them! :)

Wonderful read!!!

DRU

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. Got tearied eye at the end.

Alexandra Hall

This book was an amazing read. I read it super fast. The book is about Dewey a cat who lived in a library in Iowa. Not only about Dewey, it is also about the life of the author and the town of Spencer, Iowa. Most of the focus, however, lies on Dewey. Tons of cute anecdotes that are sure to make you laugh out loud while you are reading. I have recommended this book to everyone who loves cats!

Judith A. Boyd

This book made me wish that I had gone to Iowa to meet Dewey and his librarian companion. It's a wonderful story about love.

Franny Syufy

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
This book has been heavily promoted, and I finally decided it was high time I read it. About two pages into it and I was wondering why I had waited so long. I originally read "Dewey" on Kindle, which was a mistake, since the pictures were so small, and because I spent too much time fiddling around with bookmarks and highlights. I ordered the hardcover book, and my review is based on this version.

How can anyone write anything original about a cat who was so universally loved, that when he died his obituary was published in over 200 newspapers? Dewey originally had no cause to love and trust people. After all, a human had callously dropped him through a library book return slot on the coldest morning of the year, in sub-freezing temperatures. Thanks, however to Spencer Library Director Vicki Myron, and the library employees and patrons, Dewey soon became a people-loving, people-pleasing cat. To know Dewey was to love him.

The only thing that disappoints me about Dewey's story is that I learned later that Dewey had been declawed shortly after his rescue, although you won't read that in the book. It was apparently done on the recommendation of the library board, and the town council.

T. Bennett

You can look at this book from a simplistic point of view, the writing is not complex or poetic, the story isn't dark and it does not leave you hanging at the end...questioning obsure subplots or deep philosophic issues.

What "Dewey" does well, is show you that life can really hit you hard (single mom, divorced...without many work skills to rely on)---but, that you CAN get back up. It shows that good things CAN and will happen to you...unique and wonderful things can come from the least expected quarters (like the return book slots in a library) of your life. If fact, had the librarian and town just decided to take the poor bedraggled kitty off to the nearest shelter--just think how differently the story would have played out.

Good fortune and madgic can arrive at your door at the most unexpected times and in the most unexpected FORM. It's for you to reach out and take a chance, or give someone (or even a half frozen kitten) a new lease on life, and you may find yourself paid back ten-fold or a thousand-fold. But, it only happens when you have your heart in the right place, and you place no expectations on outcome.

Paul A. Stokes

Having just lost a special cat {Ashes} after 17 years of a unique companionship Dewey was a shining example of how another special cat attracted world attention. A touching story of Dewey's influence on a wide range of people. Well written and certainly well worth the read.

J. Kwong

The adorable cat on the front page caught my eye. I just had to have the book, but I didn't think that I was going to enjoy the book much. However, I was very wrong.

Perhaps I am biased because I have cats of my own, but I highly enjoyed the book. Although some people would say that the descriptions of the town were "boring" and "slow", I would disagree. The book is not just about the cat, it's also about the author. The descriptions were necessary to understand her mentality and helped paint a picture of the town where Dewey lived. It also helped me understand how the author was brought up.

The book, albeit very sad, left me feeling warm and comforted. Dewey demonstrated that the love from a pet can be so much more than just companionship or something fuzzy that hung around the house.

I would definitely recommend the book, but definitely have tissues in hand before you reach the end of the book!

Connie Buher

As an avid reader who grew up in Iowa, I was very interested in this book. It did not disappoint. Having lived in California for over forty years, I had forgotten the charming town of Spencer and the surrounding area. I gave this book to my granddaughter who is thoroughly enjoying it. I can see why people traveled to Spencer to see this remarkable cat and visit the Spencer library. Well written, thoughtful, and enjoyable.