open your door to friendship"
Well, I hoped that would be be truly what the book is about, but apart from being more civil to the grocer, Crump (where's the Mr.? ?áIs his absence the reason for the missus' grumpy aloofness?) only opened her door to a cat. ?áA very simple/ simplistic story, imo, with cartoony pictures that show nothing of the grace of cats, that I do not care for. ?áSorry." ( )

When a beautiful golden cat turns up on Mrs. Crump's porch one rainy day, the older woman wants nothing to do with it. Cats, of course, have their own ideas about these sorts of things, and soon the feline is ensconced before Mrs. Crump's fire, and turning up his nose at the slice of bread she offers him. Determined to put the cat out as soon as it is dry, Mrs. Crump instead finds herself buying some cream down at the local grocery story, giving the cat a bath when she discovers he has fleas, investing in a nice collar with a bell, and generally acting like any other person captivated by their feline. When wise Mr. Henry at the grocery store suggests that she put up signs to find the cat's former owner, but accept it as her own if no one responds, Mrs. Crump produces the perfect announcement - "Found. One sneak, finicky, troublesome, WET yellow cat with FLEAS" - and waits to see if anyone gets in touch.

A delightful tale of a somewhat curmudgeonly older woman who discovers the feline companionship she never knew she was missing, Mrs. Crump's Cat is the kind of animal story that I love! There's something about a homeless kitty finding a safe and loving home and family that just speaks to me, probably because I am such a cat-lover myself. Author Linda Smith, who (according to the biographical blurb on the rear dust-jacket flap) sadly died after writing this, really captures the appeal of our feline friends: their winning ways, and cunning tricks. Illustrator David Roberts does the same with his charming artwork, as both Mrs. Crump and her exquisite golden cat emerge as distinct and appealing characters in his quirky and expressive paintings. Highly recommended to all young cat lovers, and to those who read them stories! ( )

This is a lovely story of a lonely woman who befriends a cat found on her doorstep. She keeps telling herself she doesn't want a cat, in the meanwhile purchases some cream, a little yellow collar and comes up with reasons with why she can't send the cat off each day.