Toes [Hardcover]

Tor Seidler (Author), Eric Beddows (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

When a litter of cats is born into the McDonahue family, one kitten stands out from the rest. Intelligent and aptly named, Toes has seven toes on each foot instead of five. The other kittens tease him and, fearing his condition might be contagious, refuse to include him in their games.

So one night, a lonely Toes flees his house. He takes refuge in a strange basement, where a struggling musician named Sebastian eventually finds him. Sebastian soon realizes that this is no ordinary cat. As he grapples with his own insecurities as a violinist, Sebastian learns from Toes that the most beautiful duet can be the one made by true friendship.

In the tradition of The Wainscott Weasel and A Rat's Tale, Toes is a timeless story by National Book Award finalist Tor Seidler that features a charming and endearing character who touches the heart of everyone he meets.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Named for the seven digits on each of his four feet, Toes is a highly intelligent kitten, and so different from his siblings that they reject him. His mother dies mysteriously, and he flees the house to escape his siblings' torments. After a grim, lonely period trapped in a basement, he moves in with a sad violinist who auditioned for the local orchestra several times but was not accepted. Their friendship develops and culminates in Toe's act of great heroism: he makes a dangerous journey to Philharmonic Hall, steals the conductor's prized baton, and leads the woman back to Sebastian's home, where she hears him play and offers him a job. Now old and near death, and not wanting his human friend "to find his corpse and get depressed," Toes drags himself to his mother's grave and dies on his seventh birthday. Small, black-and-white sketches of the cat in different poses begin each chapter. Unfortunately, this lugubrious fantasy requires a huge suspension of disbelief and a willingness to overlook internal inconsistencies and unexplained plot aspects (cats and mice can converse, but birds cannot; Toes is unable to read words but "thanks to all the sports he'd watched" he understands written birth and death dates; no explanation is given for why all of the cats in the story die at age five to seven). Despite much drama and pathos, Toes keeps his distance and readers will find him difficult to cuddle up to.–Susan Patron, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. It's no wonder that the kitten is named "Toes"; he was born with seven of them on each foot! And it's no wonder-- since he's different--that his siblings callously shun him. Left to his own devices, Toes discovers a "magic window" (readers will recognize it as a television set) that becomes his de facto teacher, helping him understand human ways and language. His knowledge stands him in good stead when a mean-spirited prank by his siblings renders him lost and alone. He's not lonely for long, however; he discovers a new home with another outsider, a young musician whose life Toes changes. Though a bit slower paced and less richly imagined than some of Seidler's earlier books, this wryly amusing title still offers many delights and diversions (Toe's ingenious efforts at surviving in a human world). Best of all, however, is its stirring celebration of the power--and incalculable value--of selfless friendship. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Laura Geringer; First Edition edition (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060540990
• ISBN-13: 978-0060540999
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,799,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toes, November 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Toes (Paperback)

Toes is a GREAT book!!!! I LOVED IT!!!! AND I WANT TO KEEP IT!!!! AND IF I WANT TO KEEP IT IT MUST BE GREAT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO READ!!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sentimental cat mommy writes, July 2, 2006

By 

Mari-Janet "MJ" (Western Mass., USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toes (Paperback)

I came close to skipping this book because of some of the reviews, which warned me that the book might be upsetting to an overly sentimental cat mommy like myself. But the beautiful friendship between Toes and his dad made all the sadness of reading about Toes' early life worthwhile. It reminded me of my relationship with my cat. (Like Toes, he is a music lover who enjoys getting close when I practice my singing.) Toes and Minerva are the enraptured audience of a lonely, self-critical classical violinist, and Toes' brave action in disregard of his own advancing age bring a wonderful change to his dad's life. Toes and Minerva themselves develop a caring, touching friendship, despite the natural enmity between their species. The theme of the aging and loss of a cherished animal companion, although it will sadden a loving cat mom (or dad), was handled sensitively and caringly.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sad but beautiful, May 18, 2005

By 

A. Elias (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Toes (Hardcover)

I have to respond to the "Reader in Vancouver" who slammed this book. My daughters, who are 8 and 6 (and advanced readers, as well as cat lovers) loved this book, and so did I. No, Toes's abilities are not realistic, yet neither is the book a magical fantasy. It's more the sort of story one would make up about a beloved cat. I cried at the end, when Toes is dying, but it's important for children to learn that death is an inevitable part of life. Toes's death is sad, but his life and what he does for his friend, the musician, mean that his memory will live on. I would especially recommend this book for families where a beloved pet (or family member, for that matter) is growing old. Its lesson might help provide comfort when a child has to deal with grief.