Customer Reviews

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

5 star:		(441)
4 star:		(102)
3 star:		(52)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Remember Marley: A Dog Like No Other, a canine greatly loved by his master? Well, here is Dewey, an abandoned orange kitten not only beloved by his mistress but by the entire town of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's origins were questionable as was his introduction to library director Vicki Myron. January 18, 1988 was a frigid Monday in Spencer. "It was a killing freeze, the kind that made it almost painful to breathe." When Vicki arrived at the library that morning her assistant told her she had heard a noise coming from a metal slot, the library's after-hours drop box behind the building. Soon, they both heard the noise and thought it was an animal. The opening of the box was only a few inches wide, so whatever it was had to be very small. Being metal the box was even colder than it was outside, and there in a corner of the box was a tiny kitten.

It was the most pitiful thing she had ever seen, so thin she could see every rib, and she could feel its heart beating, its lungs pumping. "The poor kitten was so weak it could barely hold up its head, and it was shaking uncontrollably. It opened its mouth, but the sound which came two seconds later, was weak and ragged." But one look into his big eyes and she was Dewey's and he was hers.

Dewey was not the only one who had endured hardship - Vicki was a single mom who had lost the family farm and survived an abusive husband. The people of Spencer were going through tough times during the farm crisis of that time. Depression, ennui seemed to be everywhere.

Nonetheless, Vicki was determined to capture the interest of those who came to the small library and hopefully make them a little happier. With the help of Dewey she did that and more. For 19 years he returned the affection of the townspeople twofold, amusing them, enchanting them, rubbing against many hands in gratitude for their caresses.

What difference can one small animal make? Dewey's story spread across state lines and even around the world. In 2003 Japanese Public Television filmed Dewey, and his obituary ran in well over 200 newspapers. His story will warm your hearts, make you laugh and cry. Don't miss it.

Highly recommended.

- Gail Cooke

Dog lovers who are also readers have had some good books to get through in the past couple of years, like _Marley and Me_ or _From Baghdad with Love_. If they really wanted to read a classic, there was always _My Dog Skip_. Cat people may now rejoice, as may anyone who has an interest in pets, or how people get along with pets, or just in a good story. _Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World_ (Grand Central Publishing) is a lovely, loving story written by Vicki Myron (with Bret Witter), the former librarian of the little town of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey was a remarkable cat, since cats are not generally known for their outgoing natures, and some of the stories about him seem, well, too good to be true. But there is documentation! A whole town got to know this cat, not just library staff; reporters came in to tell his story, as did documentary film makers. As remarkable as Dewey was, the librarians and other citizens who came to love him are revealed to be just as remarkable; this is a perfect story of how pets are good for people and vice versa.

Dewey became a library cat in the most fitting of ways. He came into the Spencer Public Library via the book return slot. He didn't volunteer - he was far too small a kitten on that cold January morning of 1988. Someone thought it would be a good idea to shove a kitten in there. The poor cold cat could hardly stand, and it was grey with dirt; only cleaning it up revealed it to be a long-haired orange tabby. His paws were frostbitten, but he hobbled to each of the librarians as if to thank them for the rescue. It was the sort of thing he would continue to do for nineteen years, welcoming anyone who came into the library's front doors, attending meetings, sitting in laps, posing for photos, and generally being agreeable. Dewey turned out not to be just popular with the townsfolk, who, if they did not meet him at the library, heard about him from those who did, or from the local papers. People from small towns in adjoining counties would come by just to meet Dewey. When the _Des Moines Register_, though, the paper of the state capital, printed a story about Dewey, then other papers ran stories, and news crews came to the library. He was in a documentary made by a Japanese crew, and if a "magazine had _cat_ in the title, Dewey was probably in it." People from out of state who happened to be visiting "nearby" (perhaps a four hour drive) would make the trip to see him. His own needs were simple: "All Dewey ever wanted was a warm place to nap, a fresh can of food, and love and attention from every person who ever stepped foot in the Spencer Public Library."

Dewey lived to a ripe old age, slowing down gradually but always paying attention to his library friends. When his death came (I dare anyone to read the final chapters of this sweet book without a lump in the throat), his ashes were of course buried in the library's garden. His cremation had been donated by the crematorium, and his memorial stone was donated by the local funeral home. Myron got thousands of e-mails and condolence letters, because the obituary ran in over 270 newspapers worldwide. Myron herself seems like a tough survivor, but her book makes clear that her friendship with this ingratiating cat was the most successful of her relationships, so it was good Dewey was there for her, as well as good for the library and good for the town. Of course, she has lessons from Dewey she wants us to take away from this book, and they are good ones: "Find your place. Be happy with what you have. Treat everyone well. Live a good life. It isn't about material things; it's about love. And you can never anticipate love."

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.

Unless you are a cat-hater and especially hard-hearted I can guarantee that you will not read this book with dry eyes. The book tells the story of a kitten found in the return book slot of the City Library at Spencer, Iowa, and that kitten's extraordinary personality, his devotion to doing his self-appointed duty toward those who loved him and the patrons of the library, and the effect he had on all who came to know him. This is the best book about a cat I think I have ever read--certainly the best non-fiction account. I have not been so affected since I read (and re-read) The Incredible Journey, by Sheila Burnford (read 12 Nov 1972 - re-read 15 Apr 1991), but that was fiction whereas this book is glowingly true. Do yourself a favor--read it.

I read Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World yesterday. It was the day that the US House of Representatives failed to pass the big financial bail-out bill, the stock market tumbled, the 2008 election campaign season was in full roar, my car suddenly needed major repairs, and my seasonal allergies were again in evidence.

It's not a perfect book, but I am so glad I read it. It was a welcome and refreshing change of subject from the bad, scary and tiresome things going on at home and around the world.

I agree with another reviewer that it might have been a better, and shorter, book if focused more completely on Dewey the cat and the town of Spencer, with less of the author's personal story. But taken as it stands, it's still a heartwarming tale of a human-animal bond.

There are parallels between the story and current events. The town of Spencer, Iowa, was going through tough economic times when that tiny kitten was dumped into the public library's book return slot on the coldest night of the winter, and our nation is in a serious economic mess now with scary forecasts of what's to come. A friendly little cat with a great sense of how to act with people didn't turn the town's economy around, but by doing his thing day in and day out he truly brightened so many lives that he did make things better in his little corner of the world. (No, I don't think there's a feline-based cure for our national economic system, but one can dream...)

Not a perfect book, but at the end I was quite touched by the story of an extraordinary cat, a pretty special head librarian, and an above average small American town, who shared something we all need more of: respect, tolerance, fun, and love.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
I grew up poor in rural Oklahoma in the 50's & 60's, and lived in West Texas in the 80's when the oil field business bottomed, so I can relate to (and sympathize with) much of the author's descriptions of hard times for the people and the small towns of rural Iowa. But I bought the book to read about Dewey, not Ms. Myron, the town of Spencer, Iowa, or the other 80% of the book (if not an accurate estimate, certainly how it seemed to me) that did not directly involve Dewey. As an example, in chapter 7 (chosen at random), out of slightly over seven pages, Dewey is only in the chapter on the last page and then only in reference to people talking about him and how he was allegedly influencing getting funding for the library. I didn't find the book to be extremely boring, but not extremely interesting, either. It wasn't what I thought I was buying, and I feel it was sold to me (by the authors) under false pretenses - I would not have bought it if I had known what it was really about. I gave it two stars instead of one because of Dewey. I wish the book had been about him instead of being about Ms. Myron.

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!!!

Dewey is a story of love, courage and devotion. The library cat of Spencer reminds me of another orange four-year-old male cat called Rascal, who learned how to jump on a door handle to open the door and whose captivating adventure stories described in the series "Why Some Cats are Rascals" educate children about American geography and history, zoology, survival skills, and such positive values as friendship, loyalty, love, and trust. Like Rascal, Dewey is charming, lovely, and moving. If you are cat lover, you may not miss any of these books. Dewey and Rascal are like brothers to me.

I resisted picking up this book for a long time. Although I'm a serial cat owner, I just can't abide cutesy animal stories dripping with mawkish sentimentality.

While much of this book is just that -- the saccharin sweet story of one remarkable cat -- it is also a memoir. Unlike many other reviewers, I appreciated the fact that the simple library cat story was interwoven with the author's life story and the history and sense of her part of Iowa.

I am an avid reader of memoirs, so I consider the many diversions from Dewey's story to be a plus, and at times a relief. In fact, I skipped much of Dewey's tale, because I found it repetitious at times and indeed mawkish in many places. Yet I have been smitten by several cats in my lifetime, so I can't fault the author for indulging her sentimentality.

All in all, if you're looking for a light read and an uplifting story, this is the book for you. Best read with a cat curled up on your lap.

As a cat owner and sucker for sentimental stories about pets, I wanted to like this book -- but "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" just never lands on its feet. This self-proclaimed "heartland story" about a stray cat who finds a home in an Iowa library and ends up "changing lives ... one lap at a time" is occasionally charming but mostly just grating. Part of the problem is that writer and primary Dewey caretaker Vicki Myron, with an assist from co-writer Bret Witter, doesn't bother laying down the narrative carpentry. As a result, the book rushes through scenes episodically without setting them up and working them through to a satisfying emotional payoff. In one truncated episode, an insistent Dewey approaches a young girl who hates cats, befriends her, and the girl falls in love with Dewey -- all in one paragraph when an entire chapter or at least a few pages could have been used to better effect in detailing the arc of the budding relationship. (For an example of how to do this right, read the "All Creatures Great and Small" series.) Another problem is that much of the story isn't about Dewey, the eccentric and loveable cat, but about Myron and Iowa in the 1980s and '90s. Many of these standalone vignettes seem intended to set the record straight about Myron. For instance, she threw up that one night decades ago because of a painful tooth and not because, as rumor had it, of a drinking binge, "but there was no beating a bad reputation in a small town." The connection between these interludes and the story proper is forced at best and reiterates the same point that Dewey got Myron through those tough times. (For small-town mood and atmosphere, check out "Lake Woebegone.") And where are the photos of Dewey? The ones included at the top of each chapter are grainy, black-and-white shots that are so tiny all you can see is a ball of fur. For the kind of book "Dewey" is trying to be, I would have forgiven and even welcomed more sentimental fluff.