The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired Millions

I loved the adult version and accidentally purchased the young adult version as a gift this time. But it now resides in a lending library for children in Jamaica, West Indies. It has become, as they say, a gift that keeps on giving.

This book is lovely in every way, sensitive writing that invites comparisons between cats and humans as we move from youth with our boundless energy, to middle age when we still know others appreciate us, to old age when we begin to wonder why we are not forgiven for our lapses as easily as when we were young and adorable. Everybody who loves book and libraries will love Dewey and the difference he made in so many lives.

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.

Great Book! Everyone should read it. The world and our daily lives are so crazy these days, but this book helps you discover that the small things and the love of a cat and the love that the cat gave back helps everyone it touched. If you have had a pet for a long time and lost it you will get more meaning out of it. Tough parts at the end but it has a happy ending. I just wish I could have had the pleasure of meeting Dewey.

Vicki Myron is a wonderful writer! She is warm, personable, and real. I have the book, Dewey the Library Cat, as well as both the children's illustrated books. This new one takes nine different stories of people and their cats - eight of people Vicki became acquainted with and then one of her own. This was one book I didn't skim through, but read every word.

If you are a cat-person, this is definitely a book you should read; you may enjoy it as much as I did!

Other reviewers have provided plot summaries so I will skip ahead to what makes this book great: it is all about life-in-community. No one lives in isolation and the authors carry three separate threads throughout the book: Dewey's, Myron's, and Spencer, Iowa's. Though I like cats, I prefer dogs and resisted this book, thinking it was "just" about a rescued cat. It isn't. It's about the small things that bind people together in good and bad times, the very human resistence to the unknown or unfamiliar (I'm thinking of the cow-lady, Spencer's initial resistence to Dewey, and the meeting concerning his "senior" years), and the constant tension of balancing necessary progress with the fragility of a certain way of life.

Each of these story lines would have been interesting alone, but in weaving them together the authors have created a tapestry both personal and communal. Whether or not you like cats, libraries, or small towns, this story is worth your time.

This is a wonderful book. My daughter loved it. The only thing was there is another book with a different pic called Dewey the Library Cat-True Story which I purchased also and is the exact same book. So it kind of stinks I wasted the money and got two same books. My daughter was thinking it was another Dewey tale. However I would definitely recommend this book great for everyone.

Vicki Myron is a wonderful writer! She is warm, personable, and real. I have the book, Dewey the Library Cat, as well as both the children's illustrated books. This new one takes nine different stories of people and their cats - eight of people Vicki became acquainted with and then one of her own. This was one book I didn't skim through, but read every word.

If you are a cat-person, this is definitely a book you should read; you may enjoy it as much as I did!

Other reviewers have provided plot summaries so I will skip ahead to what makes this book great: it is all about life-in-community. No one lives in isolation and the authors carry three separate threads throughout the book: Dewey's, Myron's, and Spencer, Iowa's. Though I like cats, I prefer dogs and resisted this book, thinking it was "just" about a rescued cat. It isn't. It's about the small things that bind people together in good and bad times, the very human resistence to the unknown or unfamiliar (I'm thinking of the cow-lady, Spencer's initial resistence to Dewey, and the meeting concerning his "senior" years), and the constant tension of balancing necessary progress with the fragility of a certain way of life.

Each of these story lines would have been interesting alone, but in weaving them together the authors have created a tapestry both personal and communal. Whether or not you like cats, libraries, or small towns, this story is worth your time.

This is a wonderful book. My daughter loved it. The only thing was there is another book with a different pic called Dewey the Library Cat-True Story which I purchased also and is the exact same book. So it kind of stinks I wasted the money and got two same books. My daughter was thinking it was another Dewey tale. However I would definitely recommend this book great for everyone.

satisfied with my purchase; illustrations are great, story could be somewhat crisper, but my nephew's father read it to him with delight, since they knew where Spencer, Iowa was, and it nicely contributed to their Christmas afternoon naps (both father & young son); little nephew got sick for a week after Christmas, so don't know yet if it's among his favorite books, but he certainly liked it Christmas Day

DEWEY is one of the most heartwarming and moving books about an extraordinary cat and how he literally touched the hearts of people around the world. Vicki Myron makes us feel part of the Spencer, Iowa Public Library, as well as the town of Spencer itself. She creates a sense of place and life, hers and others, during Dewey's 19 year tenure as the Official Library Cat. Love abounds and transcends life's cuts, bruises and loss. I was finally able to grieve over the loss of several of our lost cats, both feral and domestic. This is a book for everyone, not just cat-lovers. It was a miracle that Dewey even survived the night book drop box on that frightfully cold winter's night. There are angels indeed. A wonderful read. Highly recommended.

This is a delightfully entertaining book and especially so if you like cats. Is still a very good book even if you aren't a cat lover. The descriptions of the mid west sounded as accurate as can be. Would recommend this book highly.

Dewey - what a cat! This book is perfect for every cat-lover, every book-lover, every small town appreciator, and, well, everybody with a heart. The author has woven pride of place, history worth preserving, a story of people worth knowing, and of course the life story of one remarkable, adorable, wonderful cat: "Dewey Read More Books". Everybody I know is getting this book for Christmas this year.

I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of material covered in this book. Dewey's long life affected so many people. A great deal happened to the small community, to him, and to the people who cared about and for him. I enjoyed the way Ms. Myron wove Dewey's and Spencer's lives together. Very touching and truthful without being maudlin.

you'll have to read about Dewey, who personifies all the wonderful kitty traits (and then some) that we cat lovers know. You will be able to understand how this exceptional kitty came to make the library his home, and all the people there, his family. Those of us who have lived with a Dewey cousin are constantly saying, "Oh, yes..", "Uh, huh.." and shaking our heads affirmatively as we read about Dewey's habits and shenanigans. I would have loved more captioned pictures - lots and lots of pictures! There were a number, but they were in black and white and small - and I found myself longing to see more of him in living color! People who don't like cats are really missing something, as we cat people probably all have a story to tell about how a cat became part of our lives, and changed things for the better. Well, here's a chance to hear someone's story, and, for a little while, to imagine how much fun one cat was having with a whole library to roam, bookshelves to climb, drawers to sleep in and hundreds of laps and arms to choose from every day! For a little while, I was able to smile about my special orange kitty, Boomer, and to remember his personality and how he lit up our lives. And, if I am ever in Spencer, Iowa, you can be sure I will stop by and see Dewey's plaque. Dewey's story is a reminder to us that sometimes life-changing love and joy come in the smallest, furriest packages!

This beautiful story of a kitten who stole the hearts of an entire town is a great read. Anyone who has ever had a cat for a pet can relate the everything that happens and those who have not been so fortunate should read it. They will see the delightful thought processes of our furrry feline friends.

I received this book as a gift on Thanksgiving - and read it right away ("devoured it"). I knew immediately that I had to share it with 5 friends. Not all 5 copies were new, but all copies seemed pristine to me. They were all received with great appreciation. Follow-up research on how Vicki Myron was doing was happily discovered. I highly recommend this book. You will read it more than once.

I enjoyed this touching story of an amazing cat with obviously God-given sensitivity to the needs of people around him.

As a farmer myself, I grieved for the bitterness obvious in the author's castigation of modern farming. It's just the way it has to be today. I wish we could be farming the way we used to years ago, but it's not possible to earn a living that way. (Unless one or both people have a full-time, off-farm job!)

I normally read historical fiction books about the Tudor era, but being a cat lover I figured out I would try out this book. I really loved it and ended up getting really mad when I had to stop reading it and put it down! I saw there were a few 1 star reviews out there but really, were you expecting some literary classic from a book about a library cat? This book was everything it was set up to be: a nice heartwarming story about a special cat. I actually liked the back story about the author (and Dewey's #1 lady) because honestly, how many pages could you write about a cat? I laughed and cried while reading this and it just was a nice feel-good read about a cat! Glad I ventured out of my normal genre of reading to enjoy this gem!

This book made me really think about how human beings relate to the other animals we share the planet with. I've adopted two cats (I avoid the term "own" when defining my relationship with them), and I like to think they like (love?) me as much as I like (love) them. Never having shared my domicile with a feline before, I'm eager to hear and read stories about cats--anything to help me understand and anticipate my own a little better. To be honest, I'm a little suspicious of stories about cats that perform major, unbelievably human feats. And I distrust those storytellers who seem to know every little thing their pets are thinking. From this perspective, I was very pleased with Vicki Myron's account of Dewey, the library cat of Spencer, Iowa. Myron describes her cat's behavior (Dewey lifted his paw to her in greeting every morning), not his inner motivations and thoughts of her cat. Even so, the reader does get the sense of Dewey's personality. He enjoys the company of people (Myron and her family as well as library employees and patrons) and he demonstrates an uncanny intuition as to who needs his attention most. As other reviewers have noted, DEWEY is as much about the hardships of the farming town of Spencer and the author's own trials and tribulations as it is about the cat. I found these sometimes distressing digressions to be a thoughtful counterpoint to Dewey's biography and high jinks. That a cat could be a comfort and spirit-booster to so many people is heartwarming. And the fact that a community's act of caring for a helpless, abandoned animal could draw out the best in them is encouraging. Like May Sarton's wonderful book THE FUR PERSON (newly reprinted with lovely illustrations by Jared Williams), DEWEY is an engaging story about a cat, one that is told movingly but without indulging in "cheap sentiment" or anthropomorphism.

I normally read historical fiction books about the Tudor era, but being a cat lover I figured out I would try out this book. I really loved it and ended up getting really mad when I had to stop reading it and put it down! I saw there were a few 1 star reviews out there but really, were you expecting some literary classic from a book about a library cat? This book was everything it was set up to be: a nice heartwarming story about a special cat. I actually liked the back story about the author (and Dewey's #1 lady) because honestly, how many pages could you write about a cat? I laughed and cried while reading this and it just was a nice feel-good read about a cat! Glad I ventured out of my normal genre of reading to enjoy this gem!

This book made me really think about how human beings relate to the other animals we share the planet with. I've adopted two cats (I avoid the term "own" when defining my relationship with them), and I like to think they like (love?) me as much as I like (love) them. Never having shared my domicile with a feline before, I'm eager to hear and read stories about cats--anything to help me understand and anticipate my own a little better. To be honest, I'm a little suspicious of stories about cats that perform major, unbelievably human feats. And I distrust those storytellers who seem to know every little thing their pets are thinking. From this perspective, I was very pleased with Vicki Myron's account of Dewey, the library cat of Spencer, Iowa. Myron describes her cat's behavior (Dewey lifted his paw to her in greeting every morning), not his inner motivations and thoughts of her cat. Even so, the reader does get the sense of Dewey's personality. He enjoys the company of people (Myron and her family as well as library employees and patrons) and he demonstrates an uncanny intuition as to who needs his attention most. As other reviewers have noted, DEWEY is as much about the hardships of the farming town of Spencer and the author's own trials and tribulations as it is about the cat. I found these sometimes distressing digressions to be a thoughtful counterpoint to Dewey's biography and high jinks. That a cat could be a comfort and spirit-booster to so many people is heartwarming. And the fact that a community's act of caring for a helpless, abandoned animal could draw out the best in them is encouraging. Like May Sarton's wonderful book THE FUR PERSON (newly reprinted with lovely illustrations by Jared Williams), DEWEY is an engaging story about a cat, one that is told movingly but without indulging in "cheap sentiment" or anthropomorphism.

Very enjoyable book about a VERY special cat, Dewey. Dewey ‘s mom, Vicky, brought to us the relationship between human & animal. The story shows the possibility of true affection between Dewey & Vicky. There is a place here for everyone.

If you love animals...this is a wonderful "love" your pet story...they give love...and everyone receives it.
Of course "Dewey" is unique...and adapts to his special living situation with aplomb.... laugh and cry with this story.